’m blessed by the Lord, and that is my message.” If you listen to longtime Tulsa County Farm Bureau agent Marvin Winters, you’re likely to hear that sentiment expressed often and proudly. Marvin seems to always wear a broad smile and punctuates his conversations with boisterous laughter. His career with Farm Bureau is inching toward the day that he won’t be taking care of the clients he’s cultivated since 1974. He remembers starting with two other new agents in Tulsa more than 30 years ago. His two counterparts left two or three years later. “I guess it was my dynamic personality,” Marvin jokes about his career as he erupts in his typical laughter. “Anybody in their right mind probably would have retired five years ago.” He’s on a two-fold mission – Marvin has been referring all his new business to the younger agents in the Tulsa office for several years, and he plans on hitting 50 by 2010. “It (joining the Farm Bureau insurance ranks) was the best move I’ve ever made,” he declares. “I give the Lord a lot of credit for guiding me. I now view myself as trying to give more back than I ever have.” Now Marvin, what’s this 50 by 2010? You were born in 1940, so you can’t fudge that much on your age. It is a passion Marvin has held dear almost since the day a neighbor convinced him he should accompany her on a jog around the neighborhood way back in 1979. That was just shortly after an ominous dream. “I had a dream when I had bad cold,” says a no nonsense Marvin. “I dreamed I had been buried alive.” Back then he was a heavy smoker and about 60 pounds heavier. “I woke up and never smoked again. That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” That was lifestyle change number one. His jog with the neighbor was number two. 24 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
“She kept coming around and she’d say I wish you’d come and run with me. She said it was scary to run alone. So I did it,” Marvin said. “She said she’d run wide and I could cut all the corners to keep up and that way we’d be going the same speed. “Although she was barely running, I was ready for her to go wider and wider. But running is funny. Once you get to the point where you can run two miles without stopping, you’re running aerobically – taking in the same amount of oxygen as your taking out.” His jogs became runs – one hour became two, two became three, three became four and Above clockwise: Marvin relaxes under a shade tree in Pocatello, Idaho, after completing the marathon there in “the next thing you September 2006. know you’re a Marvin talks to a race fan after the Haulin’ Aspen marathoner.” Marathon in Big Bend, Ore., following the August 2007 He ran his first event. It was a difficult trail run up a mountain, and he’s telling this woman that it about did him in. marathon in Tulsa Conditions were so bad during and after the Warner years ago, notching Robins Georgia marathon in January 2008, that Marvin four hours and eight came indoors to pose for a picture with his second place minutes over the trophy. Before the big marathon in Jackson, Miss., in January 26.2 miles. 2008, Marvin and his wife, Maryanne, paused for a photo. “I’d give anything if I could run that now. Right: Marvin flashes his effervescent smile when he has Eventually, I became visitors at the Tulsa County Farm Bureau office.
Longtime Tulsa agent runs to spread his message By Mike Nichols
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 25
fairly decent. I just trained myself and ran with Betty (his neighbor).” Marvin now runs five days a week with Boomer, his Corgi, at his side – taking Fridays and Sundays off – rain or shine, cold or sizzling. Now just what’s the 50 by 2010? That’s Marvin’s immediate goal – to run in marathons in all 50 states by the year 2010. He was half way there in early February, and it’s likely his 25-state race log has been expanded since winter. “I try to run one every month. It’s said it takes one day of rest for every mile you run. I just run and jog with friends in between marathons. I don’t do any speed training.” After he got involved in marathons, Marvin says he tried to participate in as many as possible each year. And, he tried to go fast. “I ran and I trained.” n the 1990s, his training took a complicated turn. He believed he had asthma. “I was really suffering. It was awful,” Marvin remembers. “I’d go in for a physical and they didn’t think it was anything serious because I was a runner. “There were all kinds of signs, but we (he and doctors) didn’t take them seriously. I went five years thinking I had asthma.” A proper diagnosis eventually came from doctors. Marvin had 90 percent blockage in one major artery in his heart. “They called it the Widow Maker in the emergency room,” he remembers, overhearing the whispers from the assembled medical personnel. His running had helped his cause, even though it had delayed the proper diagnosis. “Because of the running, I’d built auxiliary capillaries in my heart and I didn’t have serious damage. But I had to have two stints.” He and his wife, Maryanne, made measured walks in the hospital while he was recovering. Being a marathoner, he even checked with hospital staff to find out just exactly how many laps of the facilities he needed to make to go a specific distance. 26 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
“It (the surgery) changed my attitude. I felt spared and decided it was time for me to give back. I was told that I couldn’t run again. But after you’ve done something so long, you just can’t stand to let it go. And,” Marvin says with his patented smile, “I’m still going.” Besides his heart problem in 2000, Maryanne was diagnosed with two blood clots on her lungs. She’s fully recovered, too, but the stress of his heart problem and her lung problem would have sent many couples into distress. “I give full credit to the Lord for carrying me through,” says Marvin. “He’s truly an inspiration,” says Maryanne. “I am extremely proud of him. Running probably saved him from having a major heart attack. . .” And Marvin is equally enamored with his spouse. “I have the perfect wife. She supports me. Her heart is so good. She’s a good lady. I’m so blessed to have her.” While Maryanne doesn’t run, Marvin said she participates in many of the walks held in conjunction with marathons. He even jokes that Maryanne’s walking rate might be quicker than his running. “She will do the walk in Anchorage, Alaska, when I race there in June.” he long list of marathons he’s participated in already includes the Boston Marathon and New York Marathon. Marvin’s raced in Boston three times, qualifying for his first Bean Town event when he was 44 or 45. He beat the qualifying time by five minutes. Most marathons have different divisions depending upon the runners’ age. He said Boston, for example, has five categories – 29 and under, 30 to 34, 35 to 39 and all the way up to 100.
Left to right: A poster from the Boston Marathon adorns Marvin’s office in the Tulsa County Farm Bureau complex. He’s participated in that well-known marathon three times. Another memento from Marvin’s running is this New York City Marathon poster that hangs in his office. A Saint George (Utah) Marathon poster, circa 1992, hangs in Marvin’s office.
“If I can just keep it up long enough, everyone else will die and I’ll win,” Marvin jokes, as his lighthearted persona quickly reemerges. His running resume contains some top finishes. Marvin took second in his age group earlier this year in Georgia in terrible conditions – 35 degrees, 20 mph north winds and rains. “That’s what I call tenacity,” says Maryanne. “When Marv sets his mind to do something, by golly, he does it.” hile Marvin’s job and own running keeps him busy, his philosophy of giving back has pulled him into groups to help other runners and would-be runners. When Runners’ World in Tulsa looked to start a “Newbies Group,” Marvin got the call. He encouraged, and coached a group for the Oklahoma City Marathon. Marvin joined his protégés for the Oklahoma City event. He and the other four crossed the finish line as one, hands joined and their arms extended to celebrate the accomplishment. “I got more satisfaction out of that one than Boston. The run was amazingly easy. The five of us came through the finish line together. When I think about it, it almost brings tears to my eyes. “I give full credit to the Lord. I use that as an example to the kids in my Sunday school class as something they might remember.” Marvin’s appetite for running has drawn him to other running organizations. He joined the 50 State Club and the Marathon Maniac Clubs. The 50 State Club is devoted to runners like Marvin who want to run in marathons in all 50 states.
He remembers writing to the club after learning of its existence. “I wrote them and said I’m in my 60s and I still have 37 states to do. They wrote back and said they had some 80-year-olds still doing eight to 10 marathons a year. “They showed me,” Marvin declared, “what I was trying to show others.” e was the first Oklahoman to join the Marathon Maniac Club. To qualify, members must do three marathons in 90 days. It has various levels, beginning with bronze, for members. Marvin has been a member for about a year, and already has attained one of the highest available levels. “This year I’ll do 13 states,” he says. His tenure with Tulsa County has allowed him the time he needs to participate in all the marathons, which usually are staged on weekends. By giving all his new customers to the younger agents and with the help of good CSRs (customer service representatives), Marvin has been able to keep a good balance of business and his running passion. “They really don’t care if I’m here or not,” he declares as his impulsive laugh reverberates through his Farm Bureau office. Marvin has tried to share his enthusiasm for running with the large contingent housed in the Tulsa County Farm Bureau office. “Everybody in the office is interested. But none stayed with it. A couple of guys run to stay in shape for golf, but I haven’t been able to talk the others into it. “I only thought I had a selling job (with Farm Bureau Insurance) until I tried that,” Marvin teased before laughing loudly. He’s looking to retire by age 70, and intends to have his 50-state marathon card completed by then. “After all the 50 states? I guess I’ll do the Canadian provinces and then all the continents. That’s after I retire. “I might start over with all the states,” he laughs. “We’ll sure be out spending our kids inhertance.”
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 27
A ReturnTo
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article by Dustin Mielke, OFB multi-media producer/writer, completes our work on “Nurturing the Fourth Estate - Mali,” a U.S. State Department program promoting democracy. This program was coordinated by Oklahoma State University’s Agricultural Communications staff. The project was completed in three phases, when Sam Knipp, OFB V.P. Corp. Communications/PR, traveled to Mali in March, 2007 (see Oklahoma Country, summer issue, 2007); the second phase occurred when a group of Malian journalists traveled to Oklahoma in July, 2007; and the third phase was when we returned to Mali in December 2007.
28 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
t looked like I had landed in someone’s pasture. A night landing in Bamako, Mali, Africa, made only the dried grass to the immediate edge of the runway visible, illuminated by landing gear lights. Several years of work by Oklahoma State University faculty, numerous Oklahoma agriculture groups and the U.S. Department of State culminated in a final trip to Mali in December 2007. The 14 Malian journalists who participated in the journalist exchange spent five weeks in Oklahoma during the summer of 2007, learning about journalism, agriculture and American culture. Eight Americans made the return trip to see how the Malians used their new skills and knowledge. This trip took our group from the urban capital of Bamako to the roads, villages and fields that typify the country, and for many Americans, the continent itself. Traveling around the Segou region is an exercise in contrasts. Located 130 miles northeast of Bamako, Segou is often referred to as the center of Mali’s agricultural production – the rice basket, if you will. As you approach the area, it is hard to believe that you are about to enter an agricultural zone. However, the Segou region has the
benefit of the Office du Niger. The office controls the irrigation waters that flow in the region. The French started the project in 1932, with the building of Markala Dam in 1934 and subsequent canal and ditch networks. The area continues to grow and is now maintained by the Office du Niger, a public agency that regulates the water flow, determines the planting calendar and provides maintenance throughout the region. As we left Segou town and traveled toward Markala Dam, we passed fields of millet being harvested by hand. I had to be told it was millet, however, because to my eyes the fields looked to be nothing more than weeds needing a good burning or plowing. Upon closer inspection, I started to see more than just weeds as the crop itself became easier to spot through the brush and trees. A person needs this kind of perspective to see prosperity in some parts of Mali. As we got closer to areas irrigated by water supplied by the Office du Niger, we saw more and more motorized equipment. Donkeys and carts gave way to machines that looked akin to industrial-sized roto-tillers, a two-cycle engine mated to two wheels through a simple drive train. We saw grain cleaners and even a few mechanical separators.
Clockwise from far left: Workers in a millet field in the Segou region. In these fields, trees are plowed around rather than removed. A farmer proudly wears his new OFB hat. Radios, a treasured gift, were also given to several farmers. Entering the Office du Niger irrigated area, small, mechanized agricultural implements become much more prevalent. Tractors are still too big for most field work and are not useful in a rice field. Another clue that the Dioro region’s relative prosperity is seen as oxen pull carts in place of Donkeys.
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 29
The crackly crisp brown color of dead foliage gave way to lush greens in fields of rice, sugarcane, shallots and tomatoes. The countryside took on the appearance of a livable climate, rather than the harsh-looking countryside that constitutes much of Mali. topping in the town of Niono, we had the opportunity to visit a rice field. All the work in the field is done by hand, using methods and tools long antiquated in the United States. A worker with a scythe spends his day doubled over, stooping to the ground as he grabs a handful of plants, cuts them and sorts them into small piles. More workers gather these bundles on their backs using a piece of canvas or other cloth as they transport their payload to a central location, piling the plants for donkey carts to haul them away. While I would consider a group of six Caucasians standing on the edge of a Malian rice field a bit of an oddity, the Malian workers paid little notice to us as they went about the harvest. This echoes what we saw throughout the country’s agricultural areas – hard-working people looking for an opportunity to provide a better future for themselves, and more importantly, their families.
30 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
The Millennium Villages project, a collaborative effort between the United Nations, Columbia University and Millennium Promise, tests the concept that money and its careful implementation can help solve an African village’s woes. The program provides financial assistance to 12 sites in 10 countries throughout the continent, along with education to provide villagers with the knowledge, skills and abilities to improve their lives. We visited the town of Dioro, which is one of the African villages receiving Millennium Villages aid. The region surrounding Dioro also has the advantage of being served by the Office du Niger’s life-giving water. The town is dually blessed. Crammed into a building with only square openings in the walls for windows and doors, approximately 40 farmers told us about the issues they face, as well as the success they had seen from the Millennium Villages project. These farmers came from around the region on their small motorbikes just to visit with us. Although the temperature was lovely short-sleeved-shirt weather – in the lower 90s – the farmers almost all had on one or two shirts in addition to any number of coats and sweaters. Their eyes were full of sparkle as they looked at us, eager
Background, then clockwise from left: The sun sets on the Niger River in the town of Segou. The river is the lifeblood of the region, providing water for daily life as well as crop irrigation. Farmer Tiecoura Soré serves as the leader of the Dioro area farmer’s group, which represents farmers’ interest and provides educational opportunities. The pen in his hand is a subtle hint that Soré is one of the few literate farmers who met with us. A worker near the village of Niono uses centuries-old technology to cut rice, which is a staple food for Mali. Workers carry large bundles of rice to the edge of the field where the rice will await transportation to a threshing area.
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 31
to not only share their stories, but to hear ours as well. It is here I got the chance to visit with Tiecoura Soré, the leader of a farmer’s organization representing farmers throughout the entire Dioro zone. Through an interpreter, Soré told me, in his local language of Bambara, what his organization does for its members in the Dioro zone. Not unlike Farm Bureau, it supplies a voice to farmers as it plays a role as arbitrator between its members and the government. “In the 32 villages comprising the Dioro zone, in each village there is an association,” Soré said. “We have a general assembly once a month, in which we make decisions, see what’s going well and what’s not going well. “The association is the intermediary between the local administration and the farmers in one way, and in another way, it helps farmers get education, fertilizers, and the technical knowledge to promote farming in the country.” Times are good for the farmers in Dioro. Thanks to the Millennium Villages project, fertilizer has been made available through a self-sustaining program. Farmers will borrow fertilizer for their crops, and then repay the debt with some interest, to re-build the supply and build the program. Dustin poses with school children in front of their dirt-floor schoolhouse near the town of Dioro. The education system if inherited from the French – a remnant of colonial times.
32 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
Dioro farmer Yarioussa Coulibaly told me how much difference the fertilizer provided by the program has made. “Before, we had one tonne per hectare. From what I’ve seen in my own fields, this year I will harvest one to three tonnes per hectare. That’s a big change. The difference is due to the fertilizer.
ife-changing. It is a term that is easily overused, but for the 14 Malian journalists who participated in the exchange program, the experience has been just that. During an evaluation day in the capital city of Bamako, journalists from all types of media told of the impact the exchange has had on their lives since the five-week program in Oklahoma in July 2007. Common themes emerged as the journalists shared how their lives had changed. Time management had been an area of change for many of the Malians. One participant said he was able to get more work done in a day, based on time management skills he observed in Oklahoma. A new focus on agriculture was also shared between the participants. A Malian newspaper writer said he took on the extra task and the trouble of writing stories on agriculture, in addition to his normal assignments. Two television journalists who completed an internship at the Oklahoma Horizon television program said the skills they learned in Oklahoma allowed them to edit their own shows. Whereas before they had to submit their programs for someone else to piece together, the
journalists now have additional control over their final product and their schedule. Soumaila Camara spent two weeks at Oklahoma Farm Bureau as an intern, traveling around the state to many Farm Bureau events. Soumi, as he prefers to be called, was visibly moved by his experience as he told me people in his village now come to him for ideas and input since his trip to the U.S. “My travel in Oklahoma changed my life,” Soumi told me. ”I really appreciate all the work everybody has done for me and all the help Oklahoma Farm Bureau has done for changing my behavior and my knowledge in order to contribute to the development of my area.” In addition to all the technical and journalism skills, the 14 Malians have also become ambassadors for Oklahoma and the United States. Having been exposed to our culture and lifestyle, the participants unanimously said they tell the people they meet about their experience in Oklahoma. “I think it was a good opportunity,” said one of the participants who works as a radio journalist. ”It opened my mind about American society and behavior. I think it always affects your life when you meet people from other countries. It always has value.” aving been exposed to the Malians’ culture and lifestyle, it is hard not to feel a bond with them. The faceless millions in Africa I have watched on the evening news or seen in National Geographic photos now have a face, a name, a dream. Their hopes for a better life are our hopes. Their struggle for food is our struggle to feed the world. Their dreams for a stronger democracy and a better life now have more hope, thanks in part to these efforts to nurture “the fourth estate.”
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“This extra production will help me improve the education of my students, buy medicine for my family and take care of the cattle and some other expenses the family faces.” The word “American” carries a lot of weight here, and we heard the term “our American friends” time and time again. Throughout Mali we encountered people who, upon learning we were from the United States, would smile and greet us as friends. In today’s world, it feels good to know there are places where the word “American” has a positive connotation.
Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 33
All Around
Oklahoma
Blackwell, Justice named OFB’s Meritorious Service Award winners wo state lawmakers were named recipients of Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s Meritorious Service Award at ceremonies during the 2008 OFB Leadership Conference in Oklahoma City. The names of Representative Gus Blackwell and Senator Ron Justice were added to the prestigious list of more than 40 lawmakers honored by the program since it was initiated in 1990. The honorees for the 2007 legislative session were announced during a Feb. 18 banquet held in conjunction with the Leadership Conference. The Meritorious Service Award is designed to honor members of the legislature or other state elected officials whose philosophy or record demonstrates their commitment to the private enterprise system; sound agricultural policies supported by Farm Bureau; and fiscal conservatism and reduced government regulation of agriculture, business and individuals. The primary basis for selection is the extent a lawmaker votes in agreement with Farm Bureau policy on key issues. Oklahoma Farm Bureau recognized each lawmaker for his dedicated efforts on behalf of state agriculture in areas such as rural roads and bridges, private property rights, agricultural extension and research, livestock industry regulation, water law, and rural economic development during the 2007
T
legislative session. The winners were selected by the state board of directors after being nominated by county Farm Bureaus. Representative Blackwell, a Goodwell Republican, was nominated by the Beaver County Farm Bureau. The county praised the lawmaker, asserting that he is “very deserving” of the honor. Blackwell was elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the House prior to the 2007 legislative session, and also will serve in that capacity during the 2008 session. “In this position, Rep. Blackwell was able to play a very influential role in passing key legislation for the agriculture community in Oklahoma, especially SB 709, which defined animal manure as not being a hazardous substance,” said the county’s nomination form. “Rep. Blackwell also supported many other bills of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, including trespass reform and biodiesel tax credits, as he tallied up a 100 percent voting record with OFB.” Blackwell represents Beaver, Cimarron, Harper and Texas counties along with parts of Ellis and Woodward counties. Prior to being elected to serve in the House, he served 20 years with the Oklahoma Baptist General Convention and was a campus minister with Baptist Collegiate Ministries.
Senator Ron Justice
Representative Gus Blackwell
34 • Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008
He has bachelor degrees from Oklahoma Baptist University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University, a divinity degree from Southwest Baptist Seminar and masters from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. The county’s nomination form also praised Blackwell for being active with Farm Bureaus within his district. He also has had Beaver, Texas and Harper County Farm Bureaus host the Speakers 100 Ideas Initiative. “Rep. Blackwell is very deserving of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Meritorious Service Award due to his continuing service to the agricultural industry not only in District 61, but the entire state of Oklahoma,” said the county’s form. Senator Justice, a Chickasha Republican, was applauded by Caddo, Canadian and Grady County Farm Bureaus, in nomination forms from each. “Senator Justice is a great spokesman for the agriculture community in the great State of Oklahoma and someone that Farm Bureau can be very proud to call one of theirs,” noted Caddo County Farm Bureau. “We think he is very deserving of this award,” added the Canadian County form. “Sen. Justice is a great asset, not only for Oklahoma Farm Bureau, but the entire agricultural industry in the state of Oklahoma,” pointed out the Grady County Farm Bureau form. Justice represents Blaine, Caddo, Canadian and Grady counties. He is a retired Oklahoma State University Extension agent, and has bachelor and master degrees from OSU. He drew praises for authoring SB 709, which defined animal manure as not being a hazardous substance. That measure was signed into law by the governor. The senator posted a 100 percent voting record with Farm Bureau, and has been a proponent for its issues like strengthening trespass laws and working to have farmers and ranchers appointed to the Oklahoma A&M board of regents. “Sen. Justice represents a very rural and agricultural district at the state capitol, and his voting record reflects just that,” wrote Caddo County.
“For example,” explains the FCC, “while a station broadcasting in analog on channel 7 is only able to offer viewers one program, a station broadcasting in digital on channel 7 can offer viewers a digital program on channel 7-1, a second digital program on channel 7-2, a third digital program on channel 7-3, and so on. “This means more program choice for viewers!”
Only people who rely on over-the-air television reception will need converter boxes when Feb. 17, 2009, rolls around. If your only television signal comes from over-the-air, your television screen will go blank after the 2009 deadline unless the converter is installed.
The transition from analog to digital
Over-the-air TV broadcasts will require many to have converter boxes in early ’09 igital television (DTV) is a telecommunication system for broadcasting and receiving moving pictures and sound by means of digital signals. Congress mandated that Feb. 17, 2009, would be the last day for full-power television stations to broadcast in analog, making the use of rabbit ears and antennas obsolete. Broadcast stations in all U.S. markets currently are broadcasting in both analog and digital. After Feb. 17, 2009, full-power television stations will broadcast in digital only. As of early January, more than 850,000 people requested $40 coupons for converter boxes with which old television sets can receive digital signals after the analog broadcasts are abandoned. Each household is entitled to two coupons. For more information about the converter box coupon program, call 1-888-388-2009 or visit the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) website at www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon. “People are aware of the program,“ said Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who runs the NTIA, which is responsible for distributing the converter box coupons. Only people who rely on over-the-air
D
television reception will need the converter boxes. About 21 million U.S. households get TV signals that way, according to the Government Accountability Office. “This is an important issue for Farm Bureau since it will affect the majority of our members,” said Tracy Grondine, AFBF director of media relations. “Our members like living in rural areas and chose to do so. But, by the same token, they don’t want to be left behind because of that choice.” Congress mandated the switch from analog to digital to free up airwaves for public safety communications such as police, fire and rescue. Consumers also benefit because digital allows stations to offer improved picture and sound quality. Digital also is much more efficient than analog. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said rather than being limited to providing one analog program, a broadcaster is able to offer a super sharp high definition digital or multiple standing definition program simultaneously called multicasting. FCC says multicasting allows broadcast stations to offer several channels at the same time, using the same amount of spectrum required for one analog program.
WHAT YOU NEED If you have one or more televisions that receive free, over-the-air programming with a roof-top or rabbit ears antenna, the type of television you own is very important. A digital television (a TV with an internal digital tuner) will allow you to watch free, over-the-air TV after the February deadline. However, if you own an analog set, you need a digital-to-analog converter box to continue to watch broadcast television on that set. That’s where the government stepped in to offer the converter box coupon. Those coupons may be used for eligible converter boxes sold at participating electronics retailers. Manufacturers estimate the boxes will sell at a one-time cost of from $40 to $70 each. Wal-Mart, Best Buy and more than 100 other retailers will accept the coupons for the converter boxes. Cable and satellite TV subscribers with analog televisions hooked up to their cable or satellite services should not be affected, according to the FCC. NO WAITING Digital television is available now. If you watch over-the-air television today, you should be able to receive all or most of your local stations’ digital signals if you have a DTV receiver. If you have an older analog television, the converter boxes will allow you to continue using that set when the 2009 deadline passes. “You do not need to get rid of your existing analog TV,” says the FCC, providing the converter box is installed. FCC says there is little, if any, chance the Feb. 19, 2009, deadline will be changed. Government agencies, industry, public interest groups and others are working hard to make sure the deadline is met and that everyone is prepared for the end of full-power analog broadcasting. Oklahoma Country • Spring 2008 • 35