Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the U.S. broadcasting industry's transition to the digital spectrum in February 2009. However, the segment of the population least aware is the one likely to be most affected - households that receive their programming exclusively from over-the-air signals, according to a new study by the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).

The study surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers in November, and found out that generally good progress is being made by the TV industry's consumer awareness campaign. Forty-eight percent of U.S. households say they are aware of the impending digital TV transition, while only 29 percent were aware in a survey conducted in July 2005.

Those most aware of the implications of the transition are broadband service subscribers (45 percent), digital cable subscribers (40 percent), and basic cable subscribers (39 percent). Only 31 percent of over-the-air households knew about the transition. According to CTAM, about 17 percent of the survey respondents were from over-the-air households.

The survey also pointed out that nearly half (47 percent) of respondents did not realise when the digital transition would actually occur, and that 26 percent believed it would take place sometime other than 2009.

Public awareness is critical to a smooth transition to the digital spectrum, because those owning analog TV sets and transmission systems would need a special adapter to receive TV signals after the conversion, Media Post reported.