Sears and CBS Team Up to Broadcast NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four And Championship

[Gregg Lengling]

12 NCAA Basketball Games To Be Broadcast In HDTV And 5.1 Surround Sound

    NEW YORK, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/-- Sears, Roebuck and Co.
(NYSE: S), and CBS Television announced today an agreement in which Sears will
sponsor High Definition Television coverage of the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball
Championship, including the Final Four and Championship games.
    Coverage will include 12 High Definition games starting with first-round
action from Birmingham, Ala., on Friday, March 21 (four games) and Sunday,
March 23 (two games), as well as South Region action in San Antonio, Friday,
March 28 (two games) and Sunday, March 30 (one game).  The first eight games
will be regionalized broadcasts, while the South Region final in San Antonio,
the two national semi-final games and the National Championship Game will be
national broadcasts.
    The telecasts, which will be presented live by CBS Sports, will be
"unified" productions produced in HDTV's highest definition format, 1080i, and
downconverted for the CBS Television Network's analog broadcast coverage. This
production technique also produces a better quality analog picture.  Whether
watching in widescreen HD or traditional 4x3 analog, viewers will see the same
camera angles, replays and graphics and will hear the same play by play.
    For the first time, the NCAA Basketball Tournament will be broadcast in
5.1 channels of CD quality surround sound. This addition of surround sound
audio to the broadcast, coupled with the clarity of 1080 lines of picture
resolution, will bring the stadium experience to the viewer's home. CBS will
also be broadcasting the Grammy Awards in HDTV and 5.1 surround sound on
February 23, 2003.
    "The combination of high-definition and CD quality surround sound provides
an extraordinary experience for NCAA Basketball Tournament viewers watching
the games on CBS," said Sean McManus, President, CBS Sports. "The coverage
will really bring the game home for millions of college basketball fans, and
we are very pleased to be partnering with Sears in making this experience a
reality. This is the fourth consecutive year we have broadcast the Final Four
in HDTV, re-affirming CBS's leadership in presenting big-ticket marquee events
in high definition."
    "While Sears is a leading retailer in the sales of HDTV, we are aware
there is a good deal of confusion among consumers about HDTV," said Ray Brown,
Vice President/General Merchandise Manager, Electronics for Sears. "With this
effort with CBS, Sears is taking a leadership role to help educate millions of
consumers about the benefits HDTV offers."
    CBS Sports' coverage of the 2003 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Final
Four and Championship games will be broadcast live Saturday, April 5
(6:00-11:00 PM, ET) and Monday, April 7 (9:00-11:30 PM, ET) from New Orleans.

[mcq]

On Wisconsin..... Last years broadcasts were excellant.

[gyoung]

Unless war breaks out.  Then you'll only get the games on MTV, VH1, or TNN.