Once upon a time, a smattering of new HD channels in one major metropolitan area was a huge deal. Nowadays, it's almost expected that one area or another will experience some HD expansion each week. In order to keep things nice and tidy around here, we deliver high-def expansions, market expansions and anything else dealing with HD channel growth right here. If we missed an area that you're familiar with, drop us a line in comments so everyone can catch up. The more the merrier, we say!
Read - Verizon to Distribute the YES Network Nationally in High Definition to FiOS 'Extreme HD' Subscribers, Under Multiyear Agreement
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Read - DIRECTV Delivers Local HD Programming To Customers in Bangor, Maine
Read - Comcast project to increase available Internet speeds, add HDTV in Farmington, NM
Read - Comcast To Begin Rollout Of 22 More High Def Channels - Chattannooga, TN
Read - Comcast adds HD channels - Houston, TX
DISH adds HD Locals in Tucson [Thanks, Adam]
DISH adds KCAL9 in Los Angeles [Thanks, Ryan]

With U-verse coming to Chattanooga "sooner rather than later," Comcast has been doing its darnedest to push out new HD channels as fast as possible. After locals received four more in May, one particular tipster has passed along a message from his DVR noting that Hamilton County residents will see CNN HD (423), FOX News HD (428), AMC HD (429), ABC Family HD (444), Disney HD (445), Science HD (446), Speed HD (450) and FX HD (451) on October 28th. Mmm, thanks competition!

[Thanks, Michael]

AT&T has been teasing the Volunteer State for awhile now with its fiber-based TV service, but it sure sounds like U-verse is coming to Chattanooga in particular "sooner than later." That's according to Greg Morton, president of AT&T Tennessee, who also asserts that the company is "working as hard as it can to make sooner as soon as possible." The firm has two full years to get its service operational somewhere in the state, though it'll obviously be advantageous to AT&T to get things cranked up well before then. So yeah, still no definitive launch date, but surely it's not too far off now.

[Thanks, Anthony]

Coming right back is DirecTV, just a few days after activating HD locals in New York and Nebraska comes word that Johnstown-Altoona, PA, Chattanooga, TN and Augusta, GA are the latest in its 44 planned local rollouts this summer/fall. Better hurry DirecTV, the days are already getting shorter. Beyond the read links is the list of newly-added local networks, proceed with caution, or reckless abandon, it's pretty much the same to us either way.

Read - Johnstown-Altoona, Pa
Read - Chattanooga, Tenn
Read - Augusta, Ga

DISH Network just keeps on cranking down the list of its 22 markets slated for an HD upgrade in the summer/fall, with four going on line today: Albany - Shenectady - Troy, NY; Chattanooga, TN; Lansing, MI; and Syracuse NY. Hope the recent thunderstorms didn't knock anyone's power out, because now you've got one more reason to stay inside. As usual, we don't know what city will be next, but we expect more markets to be added soon.

Believe it or not, Comcast's HD rollouts are still going strong, with the latest additions happening in Chattanooga, Tennessee. According to our resident tipster, a message popped up informing him that Discovery HD, History HD, Animal Planet HD and SciFi HD would be arriving on June 16th. Call it a hunch, but we reckon quite a few ungrateful Comcast users will be wishing their recent boost included that last station.

[Thanks, Reed]

We mentioned earlier that a few Comcast subscribers in Tennessee had a petition asking for an agreement between WTVC and the cable provider to get the Super Bowl in high definition on cable. Now it appears they will get what they're asking for; the two companies have worked out a one year agreement that will get service on in time for the game.

No mention as to whether or not the petition had an effect, but the people have definitely spoken.

It's just sad that cable vs. local affiliate squabbles will probably cost some people a high definition Super Bowl. In Tennessee, a few residents are trying to do something about it, starting a petition to get at least the Super Bowl shown in HD on cable.

Please sign the petition, being HD-less on the biggest game of the year is something we wish on no man.

[Via HDBlog.net]