YOUNGSTOWN Local station will debut HDTV for 1-night test

Viewers will need a special set and an antenna to see the debut of HDTV.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Area residents can get their first glimpse of high-definition television tonight.
ABC's prime-time lineup will be shown from 8 to 11 p.m. on Channel 36, a new channel set up by WYTV.
The station, which carries its regular programming on Channel 33, is showing off the HDTV programming for invited guests at its studio but also will broadcast it to the public as a test, said Bob Romine, station general manager.
HDTV is being hailed by the industry as the biggest change in television since color. Because it uses digital technology instead of analog, it offers crisp pictures and more clear sound.
WYTV is showing off its new technology for one night only, however. The station is waiting for approval from the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast Channel 36 so it can only offer a brief test.
The station will be on the air all day once government approval is received, which is expected within a week, Romine said.
To receive the HDTV programming, viewers will need an HDTV set and an antenna.
Channel 36 will not be available to cable customers because WYTV hasn't worked out agreements with cable companies.
Romine said he has spoken with Time Warner Cable, which has the necessary equipment to carry the digital signals needed to provide HDTV. He said he hopes to have a contract in the first three months of next year.
Romine hasn't spoken with other cable companies but hopes to soon.
He said ABC is broadcasting just over half of its prime-time shows in HDTV. That percentage should increase next year, he said. It also will carry the next Super Bowl in HDTV.
Romine said non-HDTV programs carried on Channel 36 will be more clear because they will be converted to digital signals. The non-HDTV programs will have black bars on the left and right sides of the screen because HDTV programs come in various dimensions.
WYTV will be the first local station to offer the new technology.
WFMJ
John Grdic, general manager at WFMJ-TV 21, said his station is waiting for approval from Canadian authorities.
Canadian stations are concerned that the signal of WFMJ's new Channel 20 would interfere with their stations because of its strength.
Grdic said the signal pattern has been reconfigured so it will not interfere with those stations but still be strong enough to broadcast from at least Ashtabula to East Liverpool.
WFMJ is working on a transmitter building and has a transmitter for Channel 20 on order.
Officials at WKBN-TV 27 could not be reached Monday.
Public stations
WNEO and WEAO, the Kent-based PBS affiliate, is on schedule to meet a federal deadline for public television stations to offer HDTV by May, said Lisa Martinez, a station spokeswoman.
No one knows how many people have bought HDTV sets.
Romine said area retailers have told WYTV officials that they hope bringing Channel 36 on air will spur demand for Christmas sales.
Stations will operate both their analog channels and the digital channels. FCC regulations, however, call for stations to give up their analog licenses by Dec. 31, 2006, but only if at least 85 percent of homes in the area are capable of receiving HDTV.
shilling@vindy.com