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(Press Release) - On Monday, December 15, 2008, KSL Television will switch from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting in St. George, Utah. This major technology switch will bring to St. George free over-the-air high-definition broadcasts and better quality sound for KSL programs, like KSL 5 Eyewitness News HD, NBC prime time, NBC Sports, Music and the Spoken Word and LDS General Conference. Along with receiving better quality KSL pictures and sound, St. George will now receive Live 5 Weather Plus on KSL's 5.3, a free multicast channel now available through digital broadcasting. The new Universal Sports channel will begin airing on KSL's 5.2. Universal Sports Network is a partnership between NBC Universal and World Championship Sports Networks providing 24-hour Olympic sports, extreme sports and KSL will also provide some local sports programming.
Viewers will need to make sure they are prepared for this December 15, 2008, transition by taking appropriate action. This can be accomplished by following one of these three easy steps: 1) Get a DTV converter box for older style TV's. There is a Federal Government coupon program which will provide up to two (2) $40.00 coupons per household to go toward the purchase of a digital converter box. Information about this program is available on KSL.com or dtvanswers.com. 2) Viewers can purchase a new television set with a digital tuner already built in capable of receiving the new digital signal. 3) Viewers can subscribe to a paid service such as cable or satellite.
St. George is served by a series of translators. The FCC has only licensed one broadcast signal for KSL in the St. George area and as a result of the DTV transition it is necessary for KSL to perform this "hard cut" switch prior to federally mandated February 17, 2009, national DTV transition date. A similar switch like this took place in Cache County in August and was very successful. KSL 5 Television was one of the first TV stations in the nation to broadcast digitally and has been doing so since October of 1999, in Salt Lake City.
"We are pleased to launch this new technology to serve our viewers in St. George," states Greg James, Vice President and General Manager of KSL 5 Television. He continues, "This is an exciting time in broadcasting as we transition to digital and now St. George will receive the best KSL TV picture and sound possible plus get our other channel on 5.3."
For more information on the DTV Transition in St. George and other areas visit www.ksl.com or www.dtvanswers.com or questions are being answered at 435-817-4070. KSL 5 Television is owned and operated by Salt Lake City-based Bonneville International Corporation.
