Is local TV news ready for its close-up?

WVEC Director of Technology John Dolive laughed out loud when asked if his station's newscasters are concerned about high-definition broadcasts bringing their littlest imperfections into Hampton Roads homes.

"If they aren't now," he said, "they will be!"

HDTV is a format of digital television that provides the highest possible resolution and picture quality. A congressional mandate requires all U.S. broadcasters to end their traditional analog television signals on Feb. 17 in favor of digital signals.

The stations are not required to broadcast in high definition. With many network and syndicated programs now being transmitted in high definition, however, local stations are beginning to feel the pressure to go hi-def.

Shane Moreland, former news director with WTKR, experienced the high-definition transition process firsthand, having worked at WSLS in Roanoke. The NBC affiliate was the first station in the state to do an HD newscast, he said.

"The first thing that comes up is that you've got people worried in-house, 'Oh, what am I going to look like on TV?' " said Moreland, who left the station in June. "You've got to be prepared for it, and everybody knows that it's coming. It's just when it's going to come."

The issues extend far beyond the cosmetic, however. The financial implications of such a conversion are considerable.

"We've already calculated it all, and for us to offer our newscasts in high definition, it's going to be just short of $5 million," Dolive said. "It's a big chunk of money."

At WAVY and sister station WVBT, Les Garrenton, director of engineering and broadcast systems for LIN Television, has just gone through the process; both stations began broadcasting in HD on July 21.

The transition began long before that.

"We installed a lot of new systems and brought them into service well before the debut," Garrenton said. "Some of the new equipment can be operated in standard-definition mode temporarily while we're getting everything together, so a lot of these components - weather computers, graphics machines, studio cameras - were being brought online over a period of months. But the big component that people see at home is the new news set, and once we had that in place, then we figured it was time to pull the curtain back and let everybody see what we'd been doing."

Tina Luque Blacklocke, news director of WTKR, said her station's transition isn't too far around the bend, either. "It's not just a possibility. It's going to be a reality, and very soon. "

Steven Soldinger, vice president and general manager of CW27, said his station offers some local specials but no daily newscasts, and has no immediate plans to do them in hi-def.

Meanwhile, WHRO sends out Cathy Lewis' Friday night public affairs program, "What Matters," in high definition.

According to Bobbie Fisher, WHRO's chief communications officer, the station has done one live HD production to date: the May 16 performance of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at Regent University. A couple of new ideas are in development, she said.

WAVY anchor Alveta Ewell said she approached the HD transition with the expectation that she'd have to wear more makeup, but to her surprise, she actually wears less now. "We had this makeup artist come in, and she showed us how to put on our makeup, and it's so much lighter and more airy," she said. "It's actually stuff you can wear on the street, so it's nice to not have to wash my face, go out to dinner, and then come back and put more makeup on."

What surprised Ewell even more, however, was the first time she saw herself on HD without makeup... but it wasn't the surprise you might expect.

"One of the first times we did a rehearsal, I didn't have on my make-up like I was told I was supposed to, and I figured it would make a big difference... but, honestly, I didn't look bad!" she said, laughing. "I thought, 'Oh, my God: I actually look cute without makeup!' "

"It's changed a lot since my mother's day," said WVBT anchor Nicole Livas. "When she was on TV, they wore that pancake makeup, and it was always 'more is better' back in the day. Now, it's 'less is more,' which allows you to look more natural and more like yourself, so people don't meet you in person and say, 'You look so different!' "

WVEC weeknight anchor David Alan isn't losing sleep over the possible transition at his station. "Honestly, I have never even thought about this," Alan said. "Quite frankly, there's too much emphasis in TV news today on appearance."

Fellow 13 News anchor Lasalle Blanks is losing sleep, if not specifically over HD anxiety. "Since I wake up at 3 a.m. every day, and I'm on the air at 5 a.m., my biggest concern is that our viewers will be able to really see the growing bags under my tired eyes."

Blanks said he's sure local views will appreciate it.

"I hope it will lead to more opportunities for photojournalists to be able to tell more great community stories through their lenses in the form of photo essays.... These are efforts that often don't get as much recognition as they deserve; perhaps that will change with the move to high-def."

Moreland said: "Now we're going to be looking at the graphics, having to focus on whether they're high-definition or standard. We might find ourselves not seeing the forest for the trees. 'Hey, great HD signal... but you misspelled Norfolk!' "

Bianca Martinez, who co-anchors WTKR's morning newscast, said she is excited about the prospects. "Anytime you can make the story come right into someone's family room, we're doing our job, and the video from out in the field is so detailed that it's phenomenal!"

Martinez is also aware of the hindrances, though. "While my parents love it, the freckle smack dab in the middle of my nose is something that no one really needs to see! It's like a bull's-eye!"

Her co-anchor, Kurt Williams, agreed. "We've just got to make sure they push the cameras farther back."

Sandra Parker, afternoon anchor for WVEC, has developed a solid plan of action: staying realistic but optimistic.

"As a woman who's not getting any younger, I guess I'm going to have to make sure I do an even better job at covering up my ever-growing laugh lines. I'll just have to hope that even though the camera may be less forgiving of my imperfections, hopefully our viewers will be a little more understanding."

WVEC's Regina Mobley concurred. "Sure, viewers will see more laugh lines, wrinkles and gray hair, but I like to refer to those features as 'stripes.' And in this military town, everyone knows you have to earn your stripes."

Will Harris, nonstoppop@cox.net