TSN, DISCOVERY BEGIN HDTV BROADCASTS, ROGERS TO LAUNCH SPORTSNET HD
By Adnews Staff
TSN and Discovery Channel Canada began broadcasting high definition signals through Bell ExpressVu on Friday. "Just as television evolved from black and white to colour in the 60s, we fully expect that television will evolve from standard to high definition this decade," said CTV president Rick Brace. TSN's HDTV signal will be carried on channel 675, while Discovery Channel's signal has been assigned to channel 670. The program schedule for both high definition channels will be identical to their respective standard channels. According to CTV Specialty, the company is currently negotiating to offer the TSN and Discovery Channel HDTV signals through other distributors as well. CTV has also submitted an application to the CRTC to begin broadcasting CTV East and West in a high definition format. Meanwhile, Rogers Sportsnet has set Sept. 1 as the launch date for its new high definition channel, Sportsnet HD. Samsung has signed on as a charter sponsor of the new channel. Sportsnet HD will be available nationally.