The digital television transition may come to Hawaii a month early over concerns for the endangered Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel.

The birds nest atop Maui's Haleakala near the stations' soon-to-be-outmoded analog transmission towers.

“;None of this is official,”; said Mike Rosenberg, president and general manager of KITV yesterday.

He is the chairman of a committee set up for the now eight-year-old effort to move TV towers out of a Haleakala site used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the University of Hawaii.

At issue is the timing of dismantling the old towers, as the broadcasters have a new site for their digital transmission towers.

The DOD and UH want the old towers be removed immediately after the DTV transition Feb. 17.

That could run into nesting season for the endangered Hawaiian petrel, and Haleakala National Park is home to the largest-known breeding population of up to 650 pairs, according to the National Audubon Society.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is concerned tower deconstruction would disrupt the nesting grounds.

Moving the transition up to Jan. 15 would solve the problem, Rosenberg said.

“;We're having a meeting (today) ... and will see if we come to a decision,”; Rosenberg said.

Hawaii TV general managers and the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters will meet in a conference call with the Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Broadcasters, and a representative of U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. He is a vocal critic of the FCC's handling of the DTV transition.

There is concern that when broadcasters nationwide shut down their analog signals and go digital-only Feb. 17, millions of consumers will lose TV service.

Cable and satellite TV customers are not part of the transition. It only affects households receiving television over the air, with the exception of Kauai.

TV there is transmitted via low-power translators, “;which, based on this law do not have to go digital ... if you're getting us over the air on Kauai you don't have to do anything,”; Rosenberg said.

Other over-the-air-households will need to connect a converter box to their television. Coupons for discounts on converters are available at 1-888-DTV-2009 or online, up to two per household.

Both Rosenberg and Chris Leonard, president of the Hawaii Broadcasters Association, agree the earlier switch would be a plus for Hawaii, “;in that we'll have the full support and attention of the FCC and the NAB in ensuring a smooth transition,”; Leonard said.

Should the early transition decision become final, broadcasters will greatly step-up efforts to alert the TV-watching public.