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Picture Gets Clearer With GOLF CHANNEL Now in High Definition

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- GOLF CHANNEL's exclusive coverage of the first three PGA TOUR events of 2009 in high definition is merely a tip of the cap to the network's newly launched HD channel, which will bolster the network's schedule with more than 2,100 total HD hours of tournaments, original programming and news this year.

The tournament season kicks off Thursday with the exclusive telecast of the Mercedes-Benz Championship from the picturesque Plantation Course in Maui, Hawaii, which will air for the first time in high definition. GOLF CHANNEL will then stay in the islands for the PGA TOUR's Sony Open in Hawaii, the Champions Tour's Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai and the LPGA Tour's SBS Open at Turtle Bay, all shown in HD for the first time.

GOLF CHANNEL HD and its standard definition channel will simulcast more than 100 tournaments in 2009 featuring many of the world's best players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Lorena Ochoa. These players, among other stars, will appear in GOLF CHANNEL's HD coverage of full-round PGA TOUR events plus all early round and weekend lead-in action from spectacular venues, such as the TPC at Sawgrass and Pebble Beach Golf Links. HD coverage also will include some of the biggest events in golf like the McDonald's LPGA Championship, as well as The Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup -- - two continental clashes that have become major events on the golf landscape. And viewers will travel around the world with a generous slate of European PGA Tour events in HD.

"Golf benefits from HD more than almost any sport. For the first time, GOLF CHANNEL HD viewers will be able to fully appreciate the stunning beauty of Hawaiian courses like at Kapalua and Turtle Bay or at Scotland's Loch Lomond," said GOLF CHANNEL President Page Thompson. "With the incredible picture quality and wider screens, HD viewers will be able to immerse themselves more fully in the strategy of the game, now seeing the full scope of the rolling terrain and the subtle contours of the greens that are so difficult to perceive in standard definition."

Bolstering GOLF CHANNEL tournament coverage this year will be technical features designed to enhance the HD viewing experience, including the Emmy Award-winning Mutual of Omaha Putting Line powered by AimPoint graphics technology, which shows viewers where a golfer must start his putt in order to hole it at the optimum speed and the path the ball must follow.

Complementing live golf action, GOLF CHANNEL also will feature more than 125 original hours of news in HD. Live From will generate news coverage from golf's major championships, including the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship, as well as marquee events like THE PLAYERS Championship, The Presidents Cup and Solheim Cup.

Original Programming Produced in HD

Rounding out GOLF CHANNEL's HD portfolio will be a host of original programming. New series like the unpredictable Hank Haney's Project Barkley (working title) or the thought-provoking Golf in America will be produced in HD. In addition, Big Break Prince Edward Island will be the first Big Break to air in HD, along with specials such as Uneven Fairways and Nicklaus Around the World.

GOLF CHANNEL's dedicated HD channel reaches nearly 16 million homes across the United States. Research has shown that viewers that have HD are twice as likely to watch GOLF CHANNEL and other live sports on TV, especially the PGA TOUR.

The dedicated HD channel is yet another milestone for GOLF CHANNEL. Since launching in 1995, the network has set the gold standard for other niche cable start-ups and is now available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies.

Source: GOLF CHANNEL