A Few Answers For Our Loyal Viewers

Like most news agencies, Channel 6 wants to make sure our viewers and Web readers notice when we are at our best. We point out when we “break” the story, when we bring you the exclusive video or when we’ve won the regional Emmy award. The last couple of days, Channel 6 has not been at its best. We owe our loyal viewers an explanation.

In July, WOWT made the decision to switch our signal to High Definition. It’s something our viewers have been asking for since the digital transition earlier this year, and something the WOWT staff wanted to deliver.

For consumers, receiving HD means buying a new flat screen TV and plugging it in. But for a television station, delivering HD means rebuilding the station from the inside out, while at the same time keeping a Standard Definition signal on the air.

Every tool used to bring you the news has been changed in the upgrade. A few examples: the cameras used to capture the story, the software used to write the story, the editors used to edit the story. And those are just some of the changes in the newsroom. To get the HD signal on the air our production staff has embraced a new way to direct a newscast. Just a few examples of that new technology: new studio cameras, new robotics, new audio board, new graphics and new software that makes it all talk to each other.

Along with these upgrades comes a big learning curve for our staff -- not only learning how to use the new technology, but also how to work around and troubleshoot the “bugs” that crop up daily in the software. It's a job not done behind closed doors, but in view of everyone who is watching Channel 6.

Our dedicated employees have literally been working around the clock, seven-days-a-week to make this transition happen. Yes, it’s been a bumpy ride to watch our newscasts the past couple of days and we appreciate and value the patience of our loyal viewers. Be assured that you will soon be able to take off the seat belt and enjoy a High Definition view of your local news. A first for the Omaha metro area and another first for WOWT.