Apparently, the conversion to digital nine months ago didn’t drive a stake through the over-the-air TV antenna market.

While citing few sources for its research, a press release by Antennas Direct said that sales of over-the-air TV antennas have continued to grow this year.

“From current economic conditions, increases in cable and satellite TV rates, to the expansion of over-the air channels and new technologies, there is a bright future for digital television,” said Richard Schneider, president of Antennas Direct.

Findings from the press release include:

• The FCC reports that only 10 percent of American homes rely solely on over-the-air TV signals; however, these numbers don’t take into consideration the 35 percent to 50 percent of households that use an antenna as a supplement to pay TV. Close to 50 percent of the 114 million TV-watching households are using an antenna.
• Big box retailers have added or expanded their selection of antenna products.
• Europe, which had an earlier digital transition than the U.S., has seen its over-the-air audiences explode in the three years since its conversion; almost 50 percent of all households in the United Kingdom are over-the-air only.

“Over-the-air viewership is continuing to rise dramatically due to all of these reasons,” Schneider said. “This is not a dying industry; in fact, new technologies are leading to more antenna innovation in the past 18 months than in the past 18 years. We can’t make antennas fast enough.”

Antennas Direct said it has doubled its revenue every year since its founding in 2003. The company’s revenue increased from $3.4 million in 2008 to $7.5 million in 2009 and is expected to reach $14 million this year.