WISC-TV Channel 3 will be launching local newscasts in high definition TV starting with the evening news at 10 p.m. Sunday.

WISC-TV has been airing special feature stories in HD since January 2008. Starting Sunday, all regular programming will air in HD, and by February, the entire station will be digital. WISC-TV wil air up to 10-and-a-half hours of HD television a day, and sporting events could raise that number on the weekends.

News Director Colin Benedict said the switch to HD follows an industry trend, as several sports networks have already started to air in high definition.

Despite the small size of the Madison market, WISC-TV will be the first channel in Wisconsin to use HD.

“They are doing it because it is the trend, people are buying HD sets, so TV is switching,” said Barry Orton, University of Wisconsin professor of professional development and applied studies.

Viewers with analog television sets will receive a better picture with HD programming, while those with HD TV sets will have even higher quality reception.

WISC-TV station manager Tom Bier said he hopes viewers who own HD television sets and do not currently watch WISC-TV would try the network.

“On the business end, these people may want to try us out and like [our] flavor of the news,” Bier said.

The move to HD has been an ongoing process with many cable sports networks offering channels in HD.

“The industry is open to HD, and WISC-TV has been phasing into it over the last several years,” Bier said.

The television station started expanding its building a few years back and purchased new digital technology to be able to launch HD programming.

“Cameras have been upgraded, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work has been done,” Benedict said.