NBC affiliate WHO-TV in Des Moines (DMA no. 71) said it has become the first commercial broadcaster in Iowa to begin transmitting its mostly syndicated weekday programs in HD (1080i).
This HD upgrade follows the broadcaster's jump to HD for its local news, weather and sports last winter. The station is advising its viewers who have HD sets to be sure to tune to the station's HD channel (WHO-DT ch. 13.1) to see its content in 1080i. (Cable DTV customers can tune to ch. 813 via Mediacom).
Afternoon and early-evening shows affected by WHO-TV's move include "Ellen," "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy."
"We're very excited about being the first station in Iowa to take the next technological leap," said Dale Woods, the station's regional vice president and GM. "We realize our viewers are being asked to step up and make the investment to digital and [HD]. So we're making an investment to broadcast everything we can in high definition," Woods said in a statement posted on the WHO-TV Web site.
