HD in SD, or the joys of a middle market

You may recall I posted a few months ago about the travails of KMBC-TV as it tried to get its syndicated programs to air in HD over its ostensibly high definition airwaves. Well, now it's happening over at KCTV, where an alert reader noticed that "Live with Regis and Kelly" and the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (which went HD on Aug. 30) were still airing locally in SD.

And I, being an alert TV critic, noted that those were two shows that aired locally on a delay. "Live" airs, well, live at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, then on a delay in much of the rest of the country. "Ferguson" airs live, well, pretty much everywhere but Kansas City, where we have a fine tradition -- coughNIGHTLINE -- of airing late-night shows out of pattern. Here, it's on an hour delay.

And so I put the question to outgoing KCTV general manager Kirk Black, who confirmed it was all about the delay. He texted me back, "We have limited HD playback capabilities in KC right now."

So in other words, to quote the Feist Colbert Christmas song: Please be patient. An HD angel will be with thee shortly.