Channel 9 will begin broadcasting Eyewitness News in high definition starting next Thursday (June 29), the station announced.

It will be the first station in the state to broadcast its news in HD and only the 10th in the nation to do so. "We are proud to be the market leader in the production and airing of local news in high definition, allowing our viewers the opportunity to watch all of the day's most important local news and weather with sharper images and detail, and in a 16 x 9 format," said WFTV GM and VP Shawn Bartelt.

As part of the switch to HD, the station will unveil a new set built specifically for high definition broadcasting as well as a new graphics package. And the station promises an all-new weather presentation, taking advantage of high definition technology with its Doppler radar, now dubbed "Early Warning Doppler 9 HD."

According to Bright House Networks, Central Florida has one of the highest penetrations of HD users in the country.