CABLE: All of CBC’s network signal now available in high definition (HD).  At CHEX TV, we have reconfigured our master control and our infrastructure so that we have, as of September 1st, been able to take that CBC HD signal, integrate our standard definition (SD) local programming and commercials, and pass that mixed feed (CBC HD, Corus SD) by fibre on to the local cable company, Cogeco.  Cogeco then divides the CHEX TV signal into two.  They downconvert one signal, and distribute it on our current channel (Channel 2).  The other HD signal is distributed as HD to Cogeco’s’ digital subscribers on a different channel (Channel 702).  On the cable HD channel, the CBC HD programming, and other live HD programs (primarily David Letterman) will be full HD, filling the entire TV screen.  Our local and taped SD programming and commercials are “pillarboxed”, with black stripes on each side of the screen.  Despite its not being true HD, and its being pillarboxed, the picture quality on our local programming and commercials should be better than our previous signal.  Cable subscribers represent about 40-45% of our audience in Kingston and Peterborough, and about 65% in Oshawa.

OVER THE AIR (OTA):  Our transmitters are analog, and distribute an SD signal. They are the towers that send our signal through the air to consumers with antennae.  Those people represent about 7% of our total audience.  There will be no change to that signal in any of our markets except Belleville, where we will be switching to digital transmission on August 31st.  In Peterborough and Bancroft, people receiving our conventional signals off air will see no change on September 1st, nor for the next year or two.  Over time, as resources become available, we will be switching our OTA transmitters to digital.  For now, people relying on antennae will be getting SD signals of all programming, both CBC and local.

SATELLITE: Canada’s two satellite companies, Bell ExpressVu and Shaw Direct, will continue to carry the Peterborough SD signal.  There is some hope that in the future those satellite companies will agree to carry our HD signals, as bandwidth becomes available.  Satellite subscribers represent about half of CHEX TV’s audience.

PRODUCTION: Over the next two years, we will continue to upgrade our production facilities at CHEX so that we can produce our news and local programming and commercials in HD, and integrate those with the CBC signal so that our program offering on cable to HD subscribers, at least from noon until midnight, will be exclusively HD. 

Any questions, we’ll try to answer.

Michael Harris

General Manager

CHEX-TV

mharris@corusent.com