NEW ORLEANS -- WDSU-TV announced Wednesday the return of its high-definition signal to southeast Louisiana.

This will be the first time WDSU-TV’s broadcasted digital content will be available to all the viewers in the market since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the station’s transmitter on August 29, 2005.

“Our HD signal is broadcasting to the market and is now available for cable companies to pass along to their subscribers ,” says Joel Vilmenay, WDSU-TV/DT president and general manager. “We have retransmission agreements in place and have made all the cable providers in the area aware that our signal is accessible and ready to use.”

All the cable operators that received WDSU-TV’s high-definition signal before Katrina can now make content such as NBC prime time shows, the NFL and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams available to its subscribers once again. Those operators are Charter, Cable One, Comcast, Vision Communications, CMA Cable Vision, Reserve Telecommunications, Tucan Cable, Com 1 Interactive, and Noment Networks.

At this time, WDSU-TV and Cox Communications have not come to an agreement for the clearance of WDSU’s digital signal on their cable system.

WDSU-TV’s digital transmission will also be accessible to anyone who owns a high-definition TV set with a digital over-the-air tuner. Viewers will simply tune to digital channel 6.1 and begin receiving HD programming from WDSU-TV and NBC.

“We are very excited about the return of our HD signal to all of the region,” continues Vilmenay, “WDSU-TV, like many of our viewers, has had to deal with the trials of rebuilding. Making our digital signal available to everyone is one of our last remaining obstacles to a full recovery since Katrina.”

WDSU-TV’s digital transmission is made possible through a partnership with local station WHNO-TV Channel 20. WDSU-TV is leasing the HD channel from WHNO-TV until its new transmitter facility is completed and is 100% operational.

“WDSU and WHNO have worked together in the past to serve the needs of our viewers. We are glad to partner with WDSU once again to help deliver their High Definition programming to the viewing public in New Orleans and surrounding areas,” says Dean Powery WHNO-TV General Manager. “Now viewers demanding digital programming have another quality choice for breaking news and weather, especially during hurricane season. Viewers cannot have enough options concerning their safety.”

WDSU-TV’s HD signal returns just in time and is good news for Saints fans because the WDSU-TV schedule is packed with great match-ups and milestone games. During the season, viewers will watch in digital clarity the Saints take on Peyton Manning and the Super Bowl champion Colts, see the Saints return once again to the Superdome for the home opener and witness the face-off with former teammate Joe Horn, now with divisional rival Atlanta Falcons.

WDSU, an NBC affiliate, is owned and operated by Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc. Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc. owns and/or manages 26 network-affiliated television stations, in geographically diverse U.S. markets. The company’s television stations reach about 17.5% of U.S. TV households, making it one of the two largest non-network owned television groups in the United States as well as one of the seven largest television groups overall as measured by audience delivered. Hearst-Argyle trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “HTV.”

Note for viewers: The high-defintion tower is located on the Westbank, near the Crescent City Connection.