ATLANTA -- WSB-TV/Channel 2 is proud to announce that Southern Regional Health System is the first local advertiser to air its commercials in high definition.

Southern Regional Health System, located in Riverdale, Georgia, is the leading provider of innovative healthcare in the Southern Crescent. As part of a recent marketing and branding campaign, Southern Regional created four distinct: 30-second HDTV spots that emphasize specific service lines which are “firsts and onlys” in the Southern Crescent. These include: revolutionary da Vinci® robotic surgery, the region’s only Accredited Chest Pain Center, 64-slice CT imaging, and less invasive spinal surgery.

Southern Regional employs sophisticated technology across multiple facets of its organization. The current TV ads, which began airing in June, were all created in High Definition format, the first for a local advertiser on WSB-TV, and are fully compatible with the 2009 Digital Television (DTV) standards.

“We are extremely proud to be the first local HD advertiser on WSB,” said Bill Applegate, managing director of marketing and public relations for Southern Regional Health System.”Our hospital, physicians, and staff take great pride in bringing the most advanced healthcare to the Southern Crescent region. Our marketing campaign promotes several critical services that only we provide to the Southern Crescent,” said Applegate.

WSB-TV first aired ABC high definition programming beginning in 1998. Channel 2 televised Atlanta’s first locally produced live program in HD. The station began airing all of its local newscasts in HD in September 2006. Now the station’s new HD commercial technology brings the advertising experience into the HD format as well.

The Nielsen Company estimates, there are approximately a half million HD capable households in the Atlanta viewing area.