CBS Preps For HD Super Bowl

[AJPONSIG]

I spoke with the head of technical operations at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles today (I work at the station). Starting Saturday, KCBS will provide the west coast HD feed for DirecTV.

She said that her department is spending the entire week preparing for the HD broadcast of the Super Bowl. The station is running tests through the week and making sure that all aspects of the broadcast go off without a hitch (that includes video and the 5.1 audio) The audio is getting special attention in the wake of the Final Four broadcast last March that had no announcers.

On game day extra technicians and engineers will be on stand by both at the station and at the staions transmittor. So if there are problems don't waste time making phone calls... someone will be working on it immediatley.

Nothing is being left to chance and the station (and the network) is doing everything possible to make sure that the HD broadcast goes off without a hitch.

Enjoy another HD milestone. 8 hours of Super Bowl coverage in pure HD (that includes pregame, halftime, the game, and post game)

[pradike]

Your station should be commended on its commitment to deliver a fine product in HDTV.

Its a shame that millions of us who DON'T live in the 17 O&O CBS affiliate markets will miss out on any HDTV broadcast altogether.

As an example - Our local affiliate in Atlanta is only transmitting HDTV at 60% power or so, and most of the people living 15 or more miles outside the city (an estimated 2 1/2 million people) cannot get either a satellite feed OR a stable over-the-air signal.

Despite getting all other major networks, the local CBS broadcast is 40% weaker than the rest. We'll just be left "sitting in the dark", it appears.

Again, to those getting your fine HDTV broadcast service - congratulations to KCBS on a job well done!!!