WRAL-TV Becomes First U.S. Station to File for HDTV Experimental License

Capitol Broadcasting Co., Inc., the parent company of WRAL-TV, has requested an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a new channel with the call sign of .WRAL-HD.. The license would permit the station to operate on Channel 32 at 100 kilowatts and at a height of 1800 feet. WRAL-TV will continue current programming on Channel 5.

Keying on the consumer's desire for quality and convenience, HDTV is a new digital technology promising a wide-screen, theater-style display in a 9 x 16 ratio with a much sharper image and CD quality sound. It is expected that HDTV will replace today's television technology over the next few years. Technology experts expect HDTV to be the centerpiece of a consumer's home multimedia center. The average living room would have a TV screen hanging from the wall like a picture frame, a few inches thick, surrounded by a laser disk and CD player with multichannel sound, and the home personal computer--all operable from the couch across the room with a wireless remote control. Development of HDTV has taken more than ten years, and with the FCC's approval of WRALOs experimental license, researchers will now begin the preparation for mass production of new HDTV television sets, aiming to make the technology as affordable as the personal computer. Here in the Triangle, Time Warner Cablevision will work with WRAL to provide local cable access for WRAL-HD.

James F. Goodmon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capitol, said the new technology is important if television is to continue to hold its audience share. HDTV is not only viable under the standard approved by the FCC, he said, it is critical to the future of free television. Broadcasters must move forward to compete effectively with the pay services of satellite, cable, and wireless.

Goodmon added, "We appreciate the efforts of the FCC and Chairman Reed Hundt for adopting a standard that permits broadcasters and manufacturers to move the new technology forward."

Chairman Hundt applauded the initiative of WRAL-TV and Capitol, to explore further the technical challenges of digital television. "It will only be through efforts of technology leaders like WRAL-TV that the potential benefits of digital television in today's highly competitive marketplace can be fully tested and demonstrated to the American people. I congratulate Jim Goodmon, his management team, and WRAL-TV for their vision in taking on this task."

The CBS Television Network, a leader in digital TV and HDTV research, participated in engineering studies and the licensing process for the proposed station. CBS spokesman Joseph A. Flaherty, Senior Vice President, Technology, said, "CBS admires the pioneering spirit and foresight of its affiliated station, WRAL-TV, in launching an experimental digital station in Raleigh. CBS is fully supportive of this important initiative in digital TV broadcasting and will cooperate with WRAL-TV to help ensure the success of the experiment."

Capitol Broadcasting will be working with a number of major manufacturers in the development and testing of HDTV equipment. Installation of the new transmitter and antenna should begin within months according to Fred Barber, Senior Vice President for Television for Capitol. "We hope to transmit the first HDTV video over the air by the end of 1996." The first pictures seen over the new station will be limited since few programs exist in the new digital format. However, CBS is expected to begin delivering HDTV programming by satellite in early 1997. As an experimental station, Channel 32 will also carry some programs from PBS and the local Center for Public Broadcasting.

Capitol Broadcasting Company is a diversified communications company with headquarters in Raleigh, NC. In addition to WRAL-TV, the company owns and operates WRAL-FM, Capitol Networks, Microspace Communications Corporation, Capitol Agribusiness, Interpath and Money Mailer of North Carolina, all of Raleigh; and WJZY-TV, Charlotte; WWMX-FM and WOCT-FM of Baltimore and the Durham (NC) Bulls Baseball Club.