We'll admit, DISH Network's latest press release isn't all that thrilling for folks outside of Beaumont / Port Arthur, Texas, but it's entirely better to see something like this rather than another funeral invite for its latest satellite. DISH has just lit up HD locals in the aforesaid area, simultaneously putting another check mark on its summer rollout list and giving everyone else hope that they'll be next. Yeehaw!

What we're watching tonight:

• Fox (720p) presents the 2008 MLB All-Star Game at 8 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has the season premiere of Say Yes to the Dress at 8 p.m. followed by the series premiere of Rock the Reception at 8:30 p.m. and the series premiere of Must Love Kids at 9 p.m.
• ABC Family (720p) has The Secret Life of the American Teenager at 8 p.m.
• A&E (720p) premieres The Cleaner at 10 p.m.
• ABC (720p) has I Survived a Japanese Game Show at 9:01 p.m.
• Discovery (1080i) has Deadliest Catch at 9 p.m.
• Sci Fi (1080i) tosses in ECW at 10 p.m.
• National Geographic (1080i) closes out Earth: The Biography at 10 p.m.

While KFMB-TV has had a stranglehold on the HD news market in sunny San Diego, that's about to change. Beginning in September, the local ABC affiliate (KGTV) will begin airing its local newscasts in high-definition, and for those impatient souls, the local FOX affiliate (KSWB-TV) will be making the same switch on August 1st. Furthermore, KUSI-TV Channel 51 is expecting to take "everything on the channel, including local news broadcasts," to the high-def realm starting in February of next year. Seems like a few other cities could learn something from this one.

[Thanks, Tony]

So we've invaded your personal space before by asking how many options you have for HD programming, and we've also wondered about the primary medium of delivery, but this week's question hovers around the tried-and-true antenna. We're simply curious to know how many of you out there still rely on OTA programming for some or all of your HDTV consumption? Are there enough locals to keep you from shelling out to a pay-TV provider every month? Do you supplement your service with OTA offerings? Or do you tune into OTA locals just because they look better than what's delivered via cable? Deposit your vote below.

[Image courtesy of HMSTV]

What we're watching tonight:

• CW (1080i) has WWE Smackdown! at 8 p.m.
• ESPN HD (720p) brings Arena Football League Playoffs action with New York/Dallas at 7:30 p.m.
• ESPN2 HD (720p) has Friday Night Fights at 9 p.m.
• Fox (720p) drops in XXX: State of the Union at 8 p.m.
• HDNet (1080i) has HDNet Fights at 10:30 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) tosses in the season finale of 10 Years Younger at 10 p.m.

As our eagle-eyed tipster Doug so eloquently put it, we too aren't sure how this one got overlooked. In the midst of LIN TV hammering out deals with DirecTV, Charter, SuddenLink and DISH Network, this particular deal managed to slip through the cracks. Nevertheless, the media company has indeed entered into an agreement with Comcast to keep locals in 15 markets on the air. For specifics on which markets we're referring to, check out the second paragraph in the read link.

[Thanks, Doug]

What we're watching tonight:

• CW (1080i) has WWE Smackdown! at 8 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) lines up What Not to Wear at 9 p.m. and 10 Years Younger at 10 p.m.
• History (1080i) has Shockwave at 10 p.m.
• Fox (720p) has Planet of the Apes at 8 p.m.
• HDNet (1080i) brings SportFight XXIII at 10:30 p.m.
• ESPN HD (720p) has a College World Series game at 7 p.m.
• ESPN2 HD (720p) airs Friday Wight Fights at 9 p.m.

What we're watching tonight:

• Sci Fi (1080i) has the summer finale of Battlestar Galactica at 10 p.m.
• CW (1080i) has WWE Smackdown! at 8 p.m.
• TLC (1080i) has 10 Years Younger at 10 p.m.
• History (1080i) has Shockwave at 10 p.m.
• Fox (720p) airs Hollywood Homicide at 8 p.m.
• Food Network HD (1080i) has Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels at 8:30 p.m.
  

Prepare for another round of affiliate owner/cable network squabbles, as LIN TV has announced negotiations with Charter Communications "appear unlikely" to result in a retrans agreement, and that cable customers in Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Hartford-New Haven, Springfield (Mass), Dayton, Providence and Toledo can expect affected stations to be pulled from the lineup when the current agreement expires June 30. Of course LIN TV is taking the opportunity to educate customers about DISH Network where the stations are available courtesy of their recent agreement. Check after the break for a list of potentially affected stations while we hope for an 11th hour reprieve, although with the two sides at odds over what "fair market value" of digital signal is, we're not confident this will turn out any better than the 4 month break Suddenlink customers experienced earlier this year. (Warning: PDF read link.)

Welcome to the 21st century, Baltimore! Thanks to WBFF (FOX 45), you too can finally watch your local anchors in stunning high-definition. As it stands, less than one-third of the homes in the area have HD-capable TV sets, but the station is banking on that changing in the future as more individuals slowly see the light. Comically enough, special consultants were even called in to arrange "softer, more forgiving lighting" on the set -- those wrinkles and fine lines sure do stand out more in high-def, we hear. It's also noted that newscasts entirely in HD are still a couple months away, and rival stations WBAL and WJZ could take this transformation as all the encouragement they need to follow suit. So, Baltimore residents -- how's new news?

[Thanks, Rob]

Look out, DISH Network subscribers -- the summertime HD locals rollout is officially on. Precisely a week after we spotted the latest batch of locales on DISH's short list to receive ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in high-def, along comes word that Buffalo, New York has already been tapped. Per usual, there's no word on what markets will be selected next, but you can rest assured that you'll know just as soon as we do.

What we're watching tonight:

• Fox (720p) presents the Coca Cola 600
• Universal HD (1080i) has the previously unaired series finale of Big Apple at 6 p.m.
• Showtime (1080i) brings The Tudors at 9 p.m. followed by This American Life
• HBO (1080i) premieres an original film, Recount at 9 p.m.
• TNT (1080i) has Game 3 of the WCF, with Lakers/Spurs at 8:30 p.m.
• History (1080i) has Ax Men at 10 p.m.

With April and May almost behind us, there's only one place left to turn our attention to: summer. During a recent DISH Network Retailer Chat, a snapshot was captured showing a list of locales in which the satcaster will hopefully flip on HD locals in the next few months. According to Satellite Guys' Scott Greczkowski, DISH will be turning the new list of cities on "as soon as it has them setup and running," and a number of those listed would have already been live if not for "technical delays." Ready to see if your town made the summertime cut? Head on past the break for the full list.

Considering that Ft. Meyers, Florida was scheduled to have its HD locals flipped on via DISH Network back in April, we can imagine that residents are slightly perturbed about the wait. Nevertheless, folks looking for any possible reason to sneak inside and escape the record-setting heat can finally celebrate the addition of high-def locals in Naples and Ft. Myers. There's no word on which channels are being added, so we'll go ahead and assume that FOX, CBS, ABC and NBC stations are all showing now in beautiful high-definition. Let us know if anything changes, though.

Wow, how long have we been waiting for this? The Tiffany Network that practically invented football in HD, has been making way too many HD fans who follow the lower ranked teams in the NFL -- poor Browns' fans -- suffer through SD football just about every Sunday for as long as we can remember. Meanwhile the last broadcast network to go HD, would deliver almost every game in HD, every week. Well enough is enough, and the very credible Ken H from the AVS Forum has brought out his Magic 8 Ball -- which has a much track record then the one on our desk -- and confirmed that CBS is going to live up to its promise that for the 2008-2009 season every single NFL game on CBS will be presented in HD. All we can say is, about time.