Fox and HDTV: Definition of frustration

Sean Mota

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Sep 8, 2003
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Sunday’s NFL showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-1) will be televised in high definition by Fox. The game will air at 1 p.m. in Columbia on WACH-57, cable ch. 6.

Unfortunately, cable subscribers in the area will not be able to watch the game in HD. Fox has yet to strike a deal with Time Warner Cable and Comcast Cable to carry its high definition signal.

“I wish I had better news,” WACH general manager Scott McBride said. “If it were up to me and Dan Santelle (Time Warner director of marketing in Columbia), we would have had this settled long ago. I’m sorry things weren’t settled in time for the World Series.”

Unfortunately, McBride and Santelle have to sit on the sidelines while negotiations go on betweentheir corporate entities, Raycom Media and Time Warner.

“It’s not just Columbia,” McBride said. “This involves stations and cable systems in 36 markets. From what I understand, we’re getting closer to a deal.”

McBride has his fingers crossed that an agreement will be completed by January, in time for the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl, which Fox will televise in high definition.

According to McBride, those people who don’t rely on cable and pick up TV signals through the air via an antenna can watch WACH’s HD signal on digital channel 48.

“We, of course, want everyone to be able to get our high definition signal,” McBride said. “We’re doing everything to make that happen.”

Meanwhile, Time Warner subscribers can catch other NFL games in HD on CBS/WLTX (ch. 810), ABC/WOLO (ch. 815) and ESPN (ch. 950).
 

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