WINK-TV in Ft. Myers-Naples, Fla. (DMA no. 63), a CBS affiliate, became the latest Florida broadcaster to air its local news in HD (1080i) last week. The station said it’s the first local broadcaster in southwestern Florida to make the HD leap.
In another Sunshine State market, Orlando (DMA no. 19) ABC affiliate WESH-TV will grow into local HD news (720p) Thursday, Nov. 1, with the broadcaster predicting the transition will give HD news operations a substantial edge with viewers over non-HD news outlets. In the market, WESH-TV will follow NBC affiliate WFTV-TV, which made the jump to 1080i transmissions in June 2006, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Also in Florida, WFTS-TV in Tampa (DMA no. 13) and WPTV-TV in West Palm Beach (DMA no. 38) ramped up their local HD news earlier this year (HD Notebook, Aug. 8, 2007).
