Six first-run shows offered to local stations in HD format

LOS ANGELES - September 17, 2008 - CBS Television Distribution kicked off the fall season as syndication's undisputed leader in HD programming with six first-run shows now being offered in HD.

THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, DR. PHIL, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT and THE INSIDER all are being produced and distributed to stations in HD for the first time this season. They join CTD's WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY!, which led the way as the first two syndicated programs to launch in HD in September 2006.

"We're investing in the future of these top-rated programs by upgrading to the new industry standard of HD," said John Nogawski, President of CBS Television Distribution. "These moves demonstrate our commitment to creating the best possible viewing experience for fans of these shows. As the industry leader in quality and innovation, it's a natural for CTD to lead in this arena too."

Viewers are now able to see five of the top six rated shows in syndication in HD,  including genre leaders OPRAH and DR. PHIL (#1 and #2 talk shows), ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT  (#1 entertainment newsmagazine) and WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! (#1 and #2 game shows).

Additionally, last March CTD began offering all seasons of hit off-network sitcom EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND to stations in HD. That required remastering the first three seasons of the series (73 episodes) because those were not originally shot in HD. In 2006, CTD took on its first syndicated HD project by digitally remastering all 79 episodes of the original STAR TREK series, including adding all-new special effects and music, and offering them to stations for weekend broadcast syndication.

DR. PHIL is taped before a live studio audience on the Paramount Pictures Studios lot.    Stage 29, where the show has been shot since its inception in 2002, underwent a major makeover last summer to upgrade facilities for HD production, including a new control room, redesigned set and a state-of-the-art AVID editing facility with 18 edit bays. 

In conjunction with the technological upgrade, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT and THE INSIDER moved its entire base of Los Angeles operations to Stage 4 at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, Calif. The new studio includes two soundstages, each measuring 12,000 square feet; 28 new edit bays with cutting-edge Avid-based technology; two new HD control rooms; an expansive newsroom; separate talent suites; and several storage facilities housing the historic videotape library.

THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW continues to be taped before a live studio audience at Harpo Studios in Chicago, its home for the last 23 years. The studio's facilities were upgraded over the summer to accommodate HD production.

CBS Television Distribution is the preeminent company in worldwide television syndication. CTD produces or distributes 11 first-run series and holds the largest internationally distributed television library at 70,000 hours strong. CTD is a unit of CBS Corp.

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