AUGUSTA — Gov. John Baldacci proclaimed today Digital TV Awareness Day, an effort to make Mainers aware of the switch to digital television that will be complete in one year.

An estimated 87,000 Maine households have analog TV sets. Once the switch takes place, they will no longer be able to receive free television without a converter, according to the governor’s office.

“As we did during the ice storm ten years ago, we ask Mainers to reach out to their friends and family to make sure they understand the changes that are coming, and to help them overcome the technological challenges of this transition,” Baldacci said in a statement.

For more information, visit www.dtv.gov.