NBC affiliate KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo., (Nielsen DMA no. 137) became the latest broadcaster to grow into local HD for its news, weather and sports. The jump came last Friday. Aug. 8—the first day of Olympics coverage on NBC. The number of stations now airing local content in either 1080i (like KOMU-TV) or 720p is about 110, according to TV Technology sister publication Television Broadcast.
The station, which is licensed to the University of Missouri, is also launching its new weather package (Live Doppler 8 First Alert Weather), which the station said is the first live HD-quality radar serving middle Missouri. The new radar system contains HD “3-D” graphics and can track storms down to individual streets and intersections.
KOMU-TV’s HD broadcast day begins at 4:30 a.m. with its local “8 News Today” preceding the “Today” program. Three other NBC affiliates (in Texas, Alabama and Tennessee) also transitioned to local HD news just prior to the Olympics on NBC.
