Fox News Channel wasn’t being conservative, technically speaking, when it jumped into 720p transmissions on May 1, joining competitor CNN to make the next-gen DTV leap. (While CNBC has made the transition on the business side, MSNBC remains the last news channel holdout.)
Fox News HD will have limited HD venues, to begin with. However, it is being offered to Time Warner subs in San Antonio (DMA. no. 37) and several areas of the huge New York market (DMA no. 1), including Queens, Brooklyn, north along the Hudson Valley, and Staten Island, too. It expects to grow its HD presence on cable as the U.S. presidential campaign continues through Election Day in November.
The HD feed is being offered as a separate 720p stream, which is being simulcast with FNC’s SD programming. The SD 4:3 video aspect ratio remains within the HD feed—enhanced by what FNC calls an “HD wing” displaying news headlines, weather, sports scores and financial activity.
