Record shops, map books and almanacs have one thing in common. They are all like the Bates Motel in Hitchcock's thriller "Psycho."

Just as the interstate bypassed and then isolated cinema's creepiest motor court, the Internet has dispatched those three technosaurs to the offramp of history.

And newspapers? They are about as secure as "Psycho" starlet Janet Leigh climbing into the shower in the film's iconic slasher scene. That sound you hear in the distance, dear reader, may be the famous shriek of violins. Eeekk. Eeeekkk. Eeeeekkkk.

And about to become the next morsel of roadkill on the information superhighway are rabbit ears.

For you digital natives who have never seen a TV test pattern or heard the sign-off sermonette, these orbs with their two telescoping metal antennas once sat atop nearly every TV set in America. That is, in the years B.C. — Before Cable.

They were supposed to pull in free broadcast signals, but they could be wascally wabbits. If the picture grew fuzzy, someone in the family — usually the member with the least seniority — had to get off the couch and adjust them.

This minutes-long, prime-time mambo usually ended with antenna akimbo and tin foil wadded on their tips to boost reception.

Rabbit ears and rooftop antennas still are used by an estimated 20 million viewers in this country to receive broadcast TV.

While those of us who pay for cable complain of 900 stations and nothing to watch, these folks can pull in about a half-dozen channels in a major metro area like Los Angeles.

They are more likely to see Tony Danza than Tony Soprano. But, hey, the entertainment and the news are free and, thus, worth at least what they are paying for it.

But at midnight on Feb. 19 of next year, America's information superhighway is going autobahn.

At that moment, engineers at TV stations across this land will pull the plug on the analog broadcast era. All stations will transmit only in digital signals. This move to digital TV is supposed to free up space on the airwaves for police and fire transmissions. Digital also promises a sharper picture and clearer sound.

Those who get TV programming via cable or satellite will receive the signal without making any changes. Consumers who have recently bought TV sets with onboard digital tuners also keep their programming.

But Americans who depend on rabbit ears and roof antennas will see their screens go black.

In a country where we are promised life, liberty and the pursuit of "Judge Judy," 20 million Americans could lose their free broadcast signals.

Activists for seniors and the poor — the demographics least likely to use cable or satellite — are hitting the airwaves and the pavement to let everyone know they have options.

Here in Ventura County, the drive to educate those on the verge of losing their signals is being spearheaded by Hank Lacayo of Newbury Park.

The dapper former labor leader is the universal activist. As this newspaper's political columnist, Timm Herdt, observed, Lacayo never met a cause for the oppressed or underserved he didn't like.

"Our nation's seniors remain among the most at risk of losing TV signals next February," Lacayo said, noting AARP research that seniors are the most likely to own the technologically doomed TV sets.

Seniors watch more TV per day on average than other age groups, pointed out Lacayo, who serves on the Congress of California Seniors.

And beyond that, for those who live alone, TV is not only a source of information but another voice in the house.

As it turns out, there is a bright spot for those who stand to see their boob tubes go dark. The federal government is offering coupons toward the purchase of a converter box. With a redemption value of $40, they will cover most of the cost of the devices.

These coupons, which resemble gift cards, can be used at major retailers for the purchase of the converter boxes that average about $60.

Families are eligible for two coupons. Each set must have its own converter box.

But this is your government at work, folks. While government may move at the pace of your average daytime drama, coupon holders must chop-chop like the Iron Chef, because the coupons expire 90 days after they are issued.

"A lot of people laugh and say it doesn't affect me,' but as with anything technological, it can be confusing," Lacayo told me.

In fact, he said, some residents he has spoken to think they will lose their signals when they won't. He's afraid they will buy boxes they don't need.

Lacayo will be working with other senior and minority activists to get them to address city council meetings, senior centers, churches and any other channels for getting the word out.

But each of us has an obligation to help, he said. If you spot an antenna on a neighbor's rooftop, ask the residents if they understand what's going to happen to them in February.

He urges everyone to click on the federal government Web site that explains the digital conversion — dtv.gov — and print out information for anyone who might be affected by the digital conversion.

"Tell your neighbor, your neighbor's grandmother, tell your great uncle," Lacayo said.

In fact, there's one thing the Internet is unlikely to render obsolete.

That would be the back fence. It's the only place I know where information travels faster than the Web.

— E-mail this Star columnist at ccason@VenturaCountyStar.com.