Yes, the 100% switchover to digital does not require that all or even any broadcasts be in hi-def. But your concern shouldn't be an issue.
1. The new digital channels amount to "x" amount of bandwidth. Broadcasters and choose to use that for one channel of the best possible HD, for several channels of 1080i or 720p HD, ED or SD, for text-only subchannels, or for some combination of several of those.
2. The equipment needed to
broadcast in digital costs the same whether the station plans to do 1 or 2 channels of HD or 4 channels of SD. So there is no cost incentive not to broadcast network programming that is delivered in HD at HD resolution.
3. Some local stations may choose not to spend the money for new sets, HD cameras, etc. to
produce HD content of their own, but that's a separate issue from carrying HD content provided by others. So your local news shows may well continue to be broadcast in SD, while
Desperate Housewives is shown in HD.
I assume the stations don't currently offer digital broadcasts. (Stations that are carrying both broadcast their SD service on their original VHS channel numbers, and their HD service on a different channel, typically in the UHF band. When analog service is cut-off in 2009 those original VHF channels will go away and only the digital broadcast will remain. I mention this just to make sure that your local stations aren't broadcast in digital on other channels you're not aware of.)
Have you tried contacting the stations themselves? Most local channels whose websites I've visited have FAQs on their plans for digital or their current offerings, and/or contact links for e-mail.
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Is it possible, even likely that folks who live in small, very small markets may not get Hi Def for many, many years? ? ?
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Yes, it is
possible that a local station might devote all its bandwidth to digital SD, but not likely for the reasons noted above. I would imagine it will be much easier to get waivers to receive out-of-area network feeds once the digital cut-over takes place. If I have HD receiving gear (which my cable or satellite provider was happy to charge me for) and HD viewing equipment, which I invested heavily in, I think I would have a very good case for being allowed to received the HD broadcast from the network affiliate in the nearest big town, or even the direct network feed, if my local station refuses to carry the HD signal. And for that very reason my local station has an incentive to carry that HD signal rather than lose me and those like me was viewers during those all-important sweeps periods when local ad rates are set. Competition, if nothing else, would be a spur to provide HD as quickly as humanly possible - at least for network content that is delivered that way. The market is a wonderful thing.
Regards,
Joe
