Audio Video News

Last week, CBS and Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America (MDEA) announced that they have entered into an agreement by which MDEA will sponsor high definition coverage of the semi-finals and finals of the 2001 US Open Tennis Championships. It is the third consecutive year MDEA has sponsored CBS's HDTV coverage of the US Open. According to CBS, this year's coverage will feature the HD primetime broadcast of the Women's Final on Saturday evening, September 8.

CBS Sports also says that it will produce 20 hours of the US Open for high definition broadcasts starting on Friday, September 7 (11am–6pm, EDT) and continuing on Saturday, September 8 (11am–7pm, 8pm–10pm, EDT) and Sunday, September 9 (4–7pm, EDT). According to CBS, the HDTV telecasts—which will be broadcast live by the network's Tim Brando and Tony Trabert from the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, NY—will be produced and transmitted independent of analog broadcast coverage. CBS adds that all HDTV programming on the network will be broadcast in 1080i.

Recently, CBS Sports announced that, beginning September 15, it will broadcast 12 consecutive weeks of its college football lineup in high definition. As a result, combined with the US Open Coverage, CBS Sports will present major HDTV broadcasts every weekend from early September through the first week of December.

CBS reports that 40 of its owned and affiliated stations are currently broadcasting in digital, covering approximately 50% of the nation. By the end of 2001, CBS says it expects to be transmitting digital programming across more than 75 owned and affiliated stations, reaching well over 68% of the country.

In addition to the broadcast's availability via local channels, CBS says that the US Open HD signal will also be available on Dish Network, which will be continuously carrying WCBS-DT in New York for the east coast and KCBS-DT in Los Angeles for the west coast, as of mid-August. CBS cautions that some restrictions apply to receiving the broadcast via satellite, as defined by the Satellite Home Viewer Improvements Act.

MDEA's Robert Perry adds, "Because of its widespread appeal and viewer demographics, the US Open is a great advertising opportunity for us. We are thrilled to again be a part of this event and appreciate CBS Sports' dedication to high definition sports programming."