If the nation’s switch to digital TV were today, about 230,000 Chicago-area households would lose their picture.

That’s according to Nielsen.

The polling firm says about 6.5 percent of area households don’t have a TV set that’s ready for the switch.

The Chicago media market’s readiness ranks near the national average.

Nielsen says the area’s African Americans and Latinos lag behind other residents.

Local media-reform activist Mitchell Szczepanczyk says that’s a problem.

SZCZEPANCZYK: A lot of people, especially in the poorer demographics, rely, perhaps almost exclusively, on television. If you cut that out, suddenly they’re not having a source of information.

The last day of analog TV is scheduled for February 17.