A year from now analog television is going away. That's when TV stations are required to go digital.

Douglas from Bristol has a Good Question: Why is analog going away?

As WSBT's Kirk Mason explains, freeing up the analog spectrum could help during an emergency.

The 9/11 attack put the needs of police officers, firefighters and EMTs into the spotlight.

When television stations switch to digital signals, the analog spectrum will be freed up.

That spectrum should greatly benefit emergency crews. Right now there is virtually no extra space available for their communication. That can create major challenges during an emergency. The new spectrum will double communication space.

A homeland security source says the change should lead to much more broadband use in the field. More computer technology should help in a lot of ways, from arresting suspects sooner, to getting a critically injured patient to an emergency room faster.

The switch is also an attempt by Congress to pay down some of the national debt. They'll auction off a portion of the open analog space not used for emergency communications to wireless companies. That's expected to generate billions of dollars.

For more information go to Ready, Set, Know: Making the Switch to Digital Television.