For hundreds of U.S. television network stations the days of analog broadcasting will very soon be over, as they’ll be making the transition to digital over-the-air broadcast a day earlier than the initial deadline which was on February 17.

While Congress recently voted to delay the transition to all digital broadcasts until June, television stations were given the option to make the switch ahead of the newly established deadline, thus 491 of the nation's approximate 1,800 TV stations had planned to shut down their analog signals tomorrow, but only 368 of them got approval from the Federal Communications Commission, according to newly released FCC data.

The FCC said it reserved the right to prevent stations from switching on the earlier date if it posed a public safety threat to particular markets.

On Friday, the FCC said that stations that decided to stick with the February date are now switching over February 16.

In order to obtain permission from the FCC to go ahead with the switch, television stations had to ensure that at least one analog signal will still be on the air in their market, and also keep some sort of analog signal on air for 30 days following the switch, in order to inform the public of the changes.

As far as the public is concerned, cable and satellite TV customers don't need to do anything. Their programs will appear exactly as before. The transition only concerns those who get free television signals over the air.