This Is A Test, This Is Only A Test - To See How Dumb You Are

I have mentioned this topic before, but I feel it needs to be revisited due to a new development in its annoyance. As you may know, in February all television broadcasts are switching to digital - making antenna reception no longer viable without special converters. We will ignore the fact that these products are being developed for completely outmoded technology in the first place, and instead focus on the fact that instead of just airing commercials about the subject whoever is "in charge" of this is now interrupting shows themselves. Ostensibly these interruptions are presented as "tests", but they seem more like sensationalism trying to panic people into calling the informational hotlines and getting the converter boxes. They don't even have the courtesy to use that message you get before emergency broadcast tests - you know, the one that ends" we now return to our regularly scheduled programming." They just completely switched from the middle of one scene and then just as abruptly returned to the middle of another. This is extremely irritating - I could be missing crucial lines of dialogue just so the few people left with antenna reception (seriously, how many can there be?) can get some information they have been exposed to for months. Does the vewing public really need to suffer just in case some people are too stupid to have paid attention to the thousands of ads that have already run? And if they haven't noticed those, do you really think they are carefully watching the special tests now? Or do you think maybe they're using the time to run into the kitchen for more Cheetos?

ps: I also really like the ads run by Comcast letting their customers know that they don't have to do anything because their service will continue uninterrupted. Duh - how stupid do you have to be to NOT know you DON'T have a tv antenna? I seriously hope those people don't have drivers licenses.