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Comcast Launches High-Definition Television In Chicago Region
Chicago, IL
Service Available to More Than One Million Customers and More Than 2.1 Million Homes
(CHICAGO) - Comcast today announced it has launched high-definition television (HDTV) service to more than one million customers in the Greater Chicago Region. The announcement was made at a press conference featuring FCC Chairman Michael Powell during the 52nd National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Convention - "Leading the Digital Revolution" in Chicago. Comcast offers HDTV feeds of WBBM, Channel 2; NBC - WMAQ, Channel 5; ABC - WLS, Channel 7; PBS - WTTW, Channel 11; HBO, Showtime, as well as enhanced wide-screen digital programming from FOX - WFLD, Channel 32. The service will be available to customers who live in certain areas of the Greater Chicago Region (see attachment for the specific list of communities).
Comcast's HDTV service will be available in areas where the company's cable plant has been upgraded to accommodate two-way services. Customers who subscribe to HBO and Showtime also will receive these networks' HDTV signals as part of their digital programming package. In order to receive HDTV signals, Comcast will provide customers with HDTV-ready or HDTV-capable television sets with a digital set-top box (the Motorola DCT 5100) for a monthly equipment fee of $5. Professional installation of Comcast HDTV service is available.
"This is an exciting day for our Chicago customers, as Comcast takes television viewing to a whole new level," said Joe Stackhouse, senior vice president of Comcast's Greater Chicago Region. "Chicago consumers are on the leading edge of technology, and we are pleased to be able to deliver high-definition content to customers who have invested in HD-capable TV monitors. HDTV represents the next generation of in-home entertainment, and our technical staff in Chicago has worked diligently over the past year preparing our network for the addition of this new service."
Comcast was one of the first cable companies to offer HDTV to customers, deploying it on systems in the Philadelphia area in 2001. In 2002, HDTV was launched in northern New Jersey; the Washington, D.C./Metro Virginia area; the Baltimore, Md., area; Danbury, Conn.; the Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn., areas; southeast Michigan, including the Detroit and Flint areas; the Indianapolis, Ind., area; the Sarasota, Fla., area; and the Seattle, Wash., area. In 2003, HDTV service has launched in the Boston, Mass., Atlanta, Ga., Jacksonville and Fort Myers, Fla., and Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Francisco-San Jose, Calif., areas. Comcast will make announcements about HDTV offerings in additional markets later this year.
About Comcast:
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation, a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. Operating in 17 of the United States' 20 largest metropolitan areas, Comcast is one of the leading communications, media and entertainment companies in the world. Providing basic cable, Digital Cable, high-speed Internet and telephone services, Comcast is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. The company's 55,000 employees, in six divisions, serve more than 21 million customers.
Comcast serves more than 1.6 million customers in the Greater Chicago Region. Comcast has over 50 offices throughout the market and employs more than 4,200 employees.
West
Bensenville, Unincorporated Bensenville, Berkley, Bolingbrook, Bridgeview, Broadview, Burbank, Burr Ridge, Cicero, Clarendon Hills, Countryside, Unincorporated Countryside, Crest Hill, Darien, Downers Grove, East Joliet, Elmhurst, Unincorporated Elmhurst, Elmwood Park, Forest Park, Forest View, Frankfort, Frankfort Township, Franklin Park, Forest Park, Hillside, Hines Hospital, Hinsdale, Unincorporated Hinsdale, Homer, Homer Township, Joliet Township, Unincorporated Joliet, Justice, Lemont, Lockport, Lockport Township, Lombard, Unincorporated Lombard, Lyons, Unincorporated Lyons Township, Maywood, McCook, Mokena, New Lenox, New Lenox Township, North Riverside, Oak Brook, Oak Brook Terrace, Oak Park, Plainfield, Plainfield Township, , River Forest, River Grove, Romeoville, Rosemont, Schiller Park, Shorewood, Stone Park, Summit/Bedford Park, Villa Park, Warrenville, West Chicago, West Joliet, Westchester, Westmont, Unincorporated Will County, Willow Springs, Willowbrook, Winfield, Woodridge, Oswego, Naperville, Yorkville, Plano, Sandwich, Wheaton, Addison, Wheatland, West Joliet.
Chicago
Chicago 60609, 60613 (portions),60614, 60618, 6062060621, 60622, 60624, 60625, 60626, 60629, 60630 (portions), 60638, 60639, 60640, 60641, 60644, 60645, 60646 (portions), 60647, 60651, 60652, 60657, 60659, 60660
North
Cook (Co), Hanover Park, Bartlett, Streamwood, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Inverness, Palatine, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods, Deerfield, Bannockburn, Highland Park, Delmar Woods, Lake (Co), Fort Sheridan, Glencoe, Winnetka, Highwood, Kenilworth, Highwood, North Chicago, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Waukegan, Park City, Green Oaks, Wadsworth, Beach Park, Zion, Antioch, Winthrop Harbor, Lindenhurst, Lake Villa, Fox Lake, Gurnee, Third Lake, Great Lakes Navel Center, Elk Grove, Rolling Meadows, Buffalo Grove, Mt. Prospect, Arlington Hts, Wheeling, Des Plaines, Prospect Hts, Park Ridge, Glenview, Golf, Northbrook, Skokie, New Trier Township, Northfield, Maine Twp, Morton Grove, Wilmette, Niles, Lincolnwood, Evanston, Vernon Hills
South
Lake of the 4 Seasons, Shorewood, Chesterton, Porter, Portage, Burns Harbor, Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shores, Chesterton, Suns Acres, Valparaiso, Westville, Laporte, Rolling Prairie, Union Mills, Kingsbury, Kingsford Heights, Michigan City, Duneland Beach, La Porte, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michigan City, Pottawatomie, The Pines, Trail Creek, Chicago Heights, South Chicago Hts, Steger, Sauk Village, Homewood, East Hazel Crest, Unincorporated Oak Forest, Oak Forest, Country Club Hills, Dolton, Calumet City, Burnham, Markham, South Holland, Phoenix, Dixmoor, Calumet Park, Riverdale, Unincorporated Thornton Township, Harvey, Marionette Park, Peotone, Beecher, Manteno, Monee, Unincorporated Kankakee Manteno, Unincorporated Monee, Blue Island, Posen, Tinley Park, Orland Hills, Oak Lawn, Evergreen Park, Hometown, Chicago Ridge, Hickory Hills, Palos Hills, Worth, Crestwood, Midlothian, Alsip, Orland Park, Robbins, Ford Hts, Glenwood, Lynwood
Contact:
Patricia Andrews-Keenan
847.585.6329
pat_keenan@cable.comcast.com