KAAL, the ABC affiliate serving Austin, Albert Lea and Rochester, Minnesota and Mason City, Iowa began airing exclusively on Digital Channel 36, near Grand Meadow on October 9th, 2009 as part of the nationwide DTV transition. ABC 6 no longer operates on Digital Channel 33.

UPDATE: (10/28) Since the switch, we have heard from many of our viewers from the west (Freeborn & Mower counties and portions of Iowa) that have had difficulty receiving our signal. Our engineers are working around the clock to fix this issue.  For the next two weeks, additional crews will be assisting our engineers as they make the transition from reduced power to full power on our Grand Meadow tower. During this time, there will be approximately 2 days where our western over-the-air viewers may experience further to complete signal loss. To best alleviate the issue of interrupting peak TV demand times, we are scheduling the maintenance for Saturday & Sunday, 10/31 - 11/1/2009. Viewers receiving our signal via Direct TV, Dish, Charter Cable of Mediacom should not be affected. We will continue to provide the latest information here, so check back often for updates and exact times.

Viewers who use an antenna to receive the ABC 6 signal will need to take two steps in order to continue to enjoy ABC 6 News and their favorite entertainment programming.

1. 1) Re-aim antenna to point toward Channel 36.
2. 2) Rescan converter boxes according to directions that came with your converter box.

Viewers in the eastern portion, including residents of Rochester, may not notice any changes as a result of turning off our signal on Channel 33.

Still have questions? Call us at 507-437-6666 and you can speak to our Engineering staff.

Helpful suggestion if you are having problems getting our signal.

1. 1) Unplug your converter box or digital TV and leave it unplugged for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. 2) Plug in and rescan.

Many viewers are telling us that this worked for them and they are now seeing ABC 6 News with no problems.

Viewers concerned about their continued reception of KAAL may contact the FCC, which can provide information about predicted signal coverage for a particular address. This information can obtained by calling either the FCC Call Center at 1-888-CALL-FCC or the FCC's TTY number at 1-888-TELL-FCC, or by visiting www.dtv.gov/maps.

Digital Television (DTV) is an innovative type of over-the-air broadcasting technology that enables TV stations to provide dramatically clearer pictures and better sound quality, it is also possible for stations to broadcast multiple channels of free programming all at once (called multicasting), instead of broadcasting one channel at a time.

Why is America switching to DTV?

DTV is not only a more efficient way to broadcast, it will also free up the airwaves for a variety of new services. DTV provides crystal-clear pictures and sound, more channels and even free, over-the-air high-definition television (HDTV) for consumers who have HD television sets. DTV will also allow more services than ever before with free, broadcast television.

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 requires full-power television stations to turn off their analog channels by June 12, 2009 and begin broadcasting exclusively in a digital format.

What options do I have?

Consumers have three options to continue getting television reception:

•  Purchase a DTV converter box for your existing TV set
•  Purchase a TV set with a built-in digital tuner
•  Subscribe to cable, satellite or other pay TV service, if that carrier offers the local broadcast stations you want.

What is a DTV converter box?

A DTV converter box is an easy-to-install electronic device that hooks up to your analog television set and over-the-air antenna. The box converts the digital television signal into an analog format, making it viewable on your analog TV set.

Where Can I See KAAL-TV In High Definition

Charter Cable
Charter carries ABC 6 - KAAL TV on Digital Channel 786 (requires HD tier service). If your cable provider is a company other than Charter, contact your company directly.

DirecTV
If you have DirecTV, you need to upgrade to an HDTV receiver to receive HDTV Signals. Although it is available DirecTV is not yet carrying the local stations in HDTV. In the near Future it is expected DirecTV will carry ours and other local stations signals in HD. For more information, contact DirecTV at 1-800-DIRECTV.

Dish Network
If you have Dish Network, you need to upgrade to an HDTV receiver to receive HDTV Signals. Although it is available Dish Network is not yet carrying the local stations in HDTV. In the near Future it is expected Dish Network will carry ours and other local stations signals in HD. For more information, contact Dish Network at 1-888-284-7116.

Over the Air Antenna
If you do not have cable or satellite and only use an antenna to receive TV, you may need an upgrade. By federal law, all TV broadcasters must switch to digital TV. That means an old TV may not work without some added equipment. To upgrade to receive digital TV broadcasts, you can purchase a new TV with a digital tuner (also called an ATSC tuner) included.

If you have an older TV and want to keep it, you can purchase a set-top converter box that will allow you to view digital TV signals.

Some Digital TV (ATSC) tuners are also available for computers allowing you to watch and record programs via antenna.

You should check your address to see what digital TV signals you can receive at your home.

Additional Informative Links

  Find a DTV Converter Box Retailer near you

  Watch informative videos about the switch

  Converter box details

  Choosing an antenna

  Why the switch

  How HDTV works