DON'T let them snow you with the canned "2009 FCC Digital Mandate" excuse either! That directive had NOTHING to do with cable systems, ONLY the "over-the-air" broadcast stations that used three separate frequencies for each station. (This can easily be proven, just Google "VHF/UHF television frequencies".)
We're going through the same rigamarole here in Central California. Comcast JUST TODAY took over 2/3 of the basic-tier channels off of analog and moved them over. If it was SOLELY a digital transition, I would STILL be able to watch these channels, as I have TWO Sharp flat-panels with ATSC / NTSC digital-capable tuners. No. Comcast is SCRAMBLING the basic channels as well. They won't admit to this, their people will lie their arses off. All they will tell you is that you now need a cable box for each television to receive those channels. ILLUMINATION: The difference between the DTV and the cable box is a DESCRAMBLER!
NOWHERE in Comcast's explanation of the digital transition does it make mention of their intent to SCRAMBLE the channels that we've lost. So in other words, the over three THOUSAND dollars that we've (and millions of others have!) spent on new digital televisions is a SCAM!!! A WASTE! With Comcast controlling the signal, all these damned televisions become is a glorified monitor.