News 8 and FOX Rochester News Launch HD
By: Kevin Doran
Updated: September 5, 2012
For the first time you are watching News 8 and FOX Rochester News in high definition. We've upgraded everything. Here's the story of how it happened.
After more than a year of planning and months of work behind the scenes high definition news is reality at News 8 and FOX Rochester. The make-over started with the dismantling of our old sets.. then the construction of our new sets. It was a round the clock effort. News 8 and FOX Rochester both have a striking new look.
WROC TV Vice President and General Manager Louis Gattozzi says HD is part of our commitment to the community. "High Definition is obviously state of the art, you see it at the network level. More and more stations in markets out size re getting into that game. So it's just part of our commitment and it's something we're very excited about."
WROC and WUHF TV News Director Bryan Queen explains why high definition is a big deal. "Because we're in the digital age and that's what people expect nowadays. They expect new technology and I think it presents our newscasts in a different light."
In addition to improved sets for each newscast, a major investment was made to upgrade the technical equipment to make it possible for you to watch us in high definition.
"Actually the set was really the smallest amount of the expense" says Gattozzi. "The vast majority of the expense went behind the scenes, video servers and cameras and switchers and graphics systems and control room operations and monitors. There's just so many different things that go into an HD conversion that you really don't see, but it all ends up here on the set."
While behind the scenes crews have built our new look, the Team You Can Trust is committed to being the news leader. Queen says "And really what I've told the staff is this is the beginning. This is where we start and take out newscasts to the next level. And I hope the viewers see that."
Our studio is where television in Rochester was born. And now our landmark building is home to broadcasting technology that will take us into the future.
