According to a new NAB poll, 82 percent of American households relying exclusively on antennas to watch television are fully prepared for the nationwide switch to digital television (DTV).

The poll also found that only 2.1 million over-the-air television households have not yet taken action to get ready. The transition greatly impacts over-the-air reliant households, which risk losing reception unless they upgrade their television sets to digital before the June 12 deadline.

“Our estimates represent a definitive look at preparedness among over-the-air households, proving that Americans are unequivocally getting the message and turning it into action,” said Seth Geiger, president of SmithGeiger LLC, which conducted the telephone survey of 1,080 broadcast-only households on March 26 - April 8.

“Unlike Nielsen, our assessment includes two classes of preparedness: those who are prepared now, and those who have demonstrated an understanding and commitment to being prepared by having applied for or received a converter box coupon.”

National awareness of the DTV transition among over-the-air households has hit a record high of 98 percent. The gap in awareness and preparedness among African-Americans, Hispanics and the elderly – groups that lagged in earlier phases – has closed, and these populations are now as equally prepared as the overall population.

“These findings demonstrate a dramatic acceleration in preparedness among our most vulnerable populations just six weeks shy of the transition,” said NAB Vice President for DTV Transition Jonathan Collegio. “Almost everyone knows about the transition now – by and large, the only folks left may simply be procrastinating or may believe the date might change again.”