MADISON, Wis. -- WISC-TV announced on Monday that the station will begin broadcasting all its local newscasts in high definition starting on Sunday, Oct. 26.

While WISC-TV has been airing feature stories within its newscasts in HD since January 2008, this announcement marks the first time that WISC-TV, or any broadcast station in Madison, will air all of its regularly-scheduled newscasts in HD.

"We're very proud to be the first station in Wisconsin to offer HD news to our viewers," said WISC-TV news director Colin Benedict. "It's another way that we are continuing our tradition of being the news leader in the Madison market."

The HD debut of WISC-TV news will take place during the station's 10 p.m. broadcast. In preparation of the launch, that evening's regularly scheduled "News 3 at 5:30" will be preempted for an original special on HDTV and the February 2009 digital television conversion.

The switch to HD will include the following WISC-TV newscasts: "News 3 This Morning" (weekdays 5 a.m.-7 a.m.), "News 3 at Noon" (weekdays), "Live at Five" (weekdays), "News 3 at 6" (Monday-Saturday), "News 3 at 10: The Update" (daily), and Sunday’s "News 3 at 5:30."

Coupled with the fact that most of CBS's regularly scheduled programming is in HD as well as most of its sports coverage, WISC-TV will now regularly feature as much as 10.5 hours a day of HD programming with sports potentially increasing that figure on the weekends.

"Most major sporting events and network programming is now in HD and many of the ever-increasing numbers of viewers with HD TVs only seek out programming that is offered in HD. WISC-TV will now be their only HD option for local news," said Benedict.