WQED joins the ranks of local stations going digital before the June 12 deadline: It will turn off its analog signal at 6 a.m. April 1.

About a quarter of stations made the switch to a digital signal last month; those included WPGH, WPMY and WQEX in Pittsburgh. KDKA, WPCW, WPXI and WTAE are expected to wait until the deadline.

U.S. full-power TV stations had been scheduled to turn off their analog signals on Feb. 17. Because of a coupon backlog for households to acquire converter boxes, the deadline was extended to June 12.

Earlier this month, with help from economic stimulus package, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration began to mail out coupons to the 2.3 million households on the wait list for the $40 coupons. The fund that pays for the coupons had reached its spending limit in early January.