WHYY TO BROADCAST REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION IN HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION

High Definition receivers to be set up in local demonstration sites

WHYY's High Definition television coverage of the Republican National Convention was provided through a partnership with NHK-Japan, a national public network in Japan, and PBS. This broadcast will feature gavel-to-gavel coverage of the convention each day on WHYY Digital Channel 55.

"WHYY is pleased to be able to offer this additional service to our viewers in the tri-state region, and to those visiting Philadelphia for the convention," said William J. Marrazzo, WHYY President and CEO. "This partnership with NHK allows us to demonstrate some of the enhanced features that will be available in the future through digital television."

An HDTV wall display was located at PoliticalFest in the Convention Center. Other high definition monitors were located at WHYY Store of Knowledge at the Cherry Hill Mall, the University of Delaware's Lifelong Learning Center in Wilmington, the Naval Business Center, WHYY's Technology Center on Independence Mall, and other demonstration sites.

While the convention was in progress, NHK aired a live feed from the First Union Center on WHYY-Digital and 18 other public television stations that have a digital channels.

In Japan, NHK aired over an hour of convention coverage each night on their national digital television service. Their Japanese broadcast will utilize the gavel to gavel coverage that aired earlier in the United States.

WHYY's digital signal can be received on digital channel 55 which can be viewed on digital televisions, regular television sets equipped with converter boxes, computers with digital receiver cards and, in the future, through cable systems.

WHYY began broadcasting a digital television signal on May 16, 2000. WHYY joins a group of 18 public stations across the country who are leading the conversion to digital technology well ahead of the Federal Communications Commission deadline of 2003 for public stations to begin transmitting the new signal.

The digital signal will allow WHYY to transmit one high definition television picture (HDTV) or as many as four simultaneous standard TV (SDTV) signals, in addition to independent audio and data channels. WHYY is already developing several new strands of programming, which will become the basis of the station's multiple-channel digital services that will be launched in January, 2001. They include regional news and public affairs; Delaware Valley arts and culture; early childhood education; higher education and distance learning; Wider Horizons service for audiences age 50 and over; and Workforce training.

For more information about HDTV coverage of the convention, visit www.hdtv200.org.