The CBC has several potential dates to convert its flagship in-studio news broadcast The National to HD. Fred Mattocks, the Ceeb's executive director of production and resources, won't reveal exactly when we'll see Peter Mansbridge in high definition, but does say that "in all probability it'll be some time this year."

As far as other potential programming due for an HD upgrade, Mattocks adds that "anything that we think has significant value in terms of the user experience - large budget, high impact - will be done in HD if we can afford to. And anything that has a long shelf life."

Currently all of science series The Nature of Things is being produced in HD because, says Mattocks, "if you're producing natural history documentaries and you're not HD, you have no market life."

Among the pubcaster's current HD offerings are Royal Canadian Air Farce and The Rick Mercer Report.

www.cbc.ca