A shipping error will prevent PBS Hawaii viewers from Hilo to South Point from seeing the station for an undetermined length of time.

Hawaii's rural areas often get short shrift, and the DTV transition from analog to digital television broadcasts is proving no exception.

It is one of several stations that may go missing from view in some Hawaii communities after noon today, though PBS Hawaii has an additional problem.

Equipment PBS Hawaii was awaiting, to make sure all Big Island residents could continue to see its programming post-transition, has not only not arrived from the mainland, it has apparently gotten lost, according to Linda Brock, vice president of programming and community relations.

“;We had a major antenna installation in Hilo that got the signal from the Maui transmitter,”; on Haleakala, she said.

Because the new digital transmitter on Maui, at Ulupalakua, is 4,000 feet lower than Haleakala, “;we had to construct a new antenna installation in Hilo to receive this new signal ... but we have not been able to proceed,”; because of the shipping issue.

It is the Hilo antenna installation that relays the signal, across and around the Big Island's terrain, to South Point and other rural areas on the southern half of the island.

Some customers in the region do subscribe to cable or satellite services, “;but I think the bulk of the people”; view television over the air, she said.

She did not have statistics to reflect the size of the area's over-the-air viewing population.

When the full-power analog transmitters atop Haleakala power-down at noon today, “;unfortunately this means there will be no PBS Hawaii over-the-air signal for viewers from Hilo to South Point, until construction and installation for the new relay site is completed,”; said Steve Komori, vice president of content delivery.

“;Depending on how quickly the shipping company corrects this situation, we hope to be back on the air in Hilo sometime within the next two weeks,”; he said.

A call center set up by the Federal Communications Commission and the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters has been fielding hundreds of calls each day and will be staffed at the federal building today as well.

In addition, “;I think all the stations have teams of people”; set up to answer viewer questions, Brock said.

“;All the stations are going to refer station-specific issues to whatever station is involved,”; as will the call center, she said.

“;We're very regretful of this,”; Brock said, given major national events such as Tuesday's inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.