Head to head in high definition: channeling HDTV in anchorage.

AuthorWeaver, Aaron A.
PositionSPECIAL SECTION: Telecom & Technology

On December 2,2013, the Anchorage television market changed for the better. KTVA Channel 11 began broadcasting all locally produced content in high definition. This innovation marked a watershed change for all Alaskan television viewers who could, for the first time, enjoy never-before seen local news, weather, and sports broadcast in high definition. Their 1080x1920 signal transmits into homes across Alaska from their studio in East Anchorage in the former Anchorage Daily News building, just west from Bragraw Street.

Less than one year later, KTUU Channel 2 began its inaugural high definition broadcast on September 28, 2014, from its new, state-of the art facility on East 40th Avenue in Midtown. Anchorage viewers can now enjoy the benefit of true high definition from highly competitive news agencies, each seeking to bring comprehensive television coverage of news in Alaska.

Monumental Investments

Both companies' new facilities and the accompanying high definition infrastructure represent a monumental investment in Alaska. Gary Donovan, KTVA's chief operating officer and general manager, asks rhetorically, "Why hasn't it been done sooner? It's not only the technology, it's also the lighting. The colors, the depth of color is so much better." The answer is cost. The investments of both companies represent nearly $50 million in building construction, infrastructure, equipment, and new personnel.

Transitioning from standard definition to high definition required a top-down upgrade of virtually every piece of equipment in the news acquisition, production, and distribution chain. Andy MacLeod, president and general manager of Northern Lights Media, the parent company of KTUU, explains the challenge of building a new station from the ground up.

"There's very little that can migrate over to the new platform. Because when you build a new platform, you're trying to build into the future. So if you have a piece of equipment, you could use it but it's three years old--you don't want to use it because you're integrating a new facility."

One challenge that both companies had to tackle head-on was maintaining operations, including continuous broadcasting while construction and integration was occurring. While both companies moved to new locations as part of the transition to high definition, the stations had to essentially remain broadcasting in standard definition until they were ready to flip the switch.

MacLeod states, "The other part that makes it...

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