Some local TV stations will ditch their analog early next week

If you're a regular TV-gazer, you've probably seen at least 200 commercials by now imploring you to get off your ass and finally buy a converter box, lest you miss out on those slickly produced commercials exploiting your lust-for-things with tantalizing images of products you wish you could still afford.

The Congress-mandated deadline for going digital isn't until June 12, but a few local stations are getting a jump and ditching analog by early next week (Tuesday at the latest). Minnesota channels include:

In the Twin Cities:

KWCM (PBS)

KAWE (PBS)

KAWB (PBS)

WUCW (CW)

In Rochester-Mason City-Austin:

KTTC (NBC)

KXLT-TV (Fox) 

Happy gazing.

[Cribbed from the AP.]