STAY TUNED; HDTV SPURS STATIONS TO BULK UP OPERATIONS.

Byline: David Bloom Daily News Staff Writer

For all the havoc the high-definition television conversion is creating for consumers, it's making at least as much of a mess for the stations, networks and production companies that create what we watch.

The Federal Communications Commission started the digital stampede last year when it ordered stations in Los Angeles and other top 10 markets to begin broadcasting a high-definition TV signal as well as their standard frequency.

The deadline was next spring, but the FCC also made today a ``voluntary'' startup date for top 10 broadcasters, knowing competition would do the rest.

KNBC won the race to digital in Los Angeles, turning on its transmitter on Oct. 24, but it had no sound and looked relatively poor compared to succeeding stations, such as KTLA and KCBS, which began HDTV broadcasting digitally in time for Thursday's space shuttle launch.

``We are singularly focused on getting this product on the air (today),'' said Preston Davis, the vice president for broadcast operations and engineering for the ABC television network, which will have Los Angeles' KABC among the dozen affiliates going digital today.

``I'm going through hell right now,'' said Frank Geraty, KTLA's director of broadcast operations and engineering, a few days before his station turned on its digital transmitter. ``I've got a high-definition antenna flying in right now, and a tower crew coming over from NBC when they get done there.''

The stations and networks are spending millions of dollars each to broadcast digitally. With that process well under way, they face new challenges, such as how to produce a show.

HDTV's amazing sharpness means there's no way to finesse chintzy sets, bad makeup, heavily lined faces and inappropriate props, while scenes have to be framed differently to reflect the screen's wider aspect ratio.

``The sets now have to get wider or the cameras have to get closer,'' said John Gering, a senior partner at HOW International, an architectural firm with most of the networks as regular clients.

``Sets designed for today's technology are designed for how they're seen on air, and they're very low-budget,'' Gering said. With HDTV, ``you can't cut corners on costs, so the set designs have to look more permanent.''

And making a show can take far longer, said John Lindauer, a Venice-based TV director, whose crew needed more than three months to finish an effects-laden, 2-1/2-minute HDTV demonstration.

Though the results can be eye-popping, especially on a giant screen, Lindauer said HDTV effects shots take four times longer to create, complicating production.

``It's very easy for things to look cheap, because HDTV is so immediate and so real.'' Lindauer said. ``We solved it the old-fashioned way. We got a good art department and a good (director of photography).''

A slow move by locals to HDTV format

OK, so you've plunked down hard cash for a hot new high-definition TV set, plugged it in, and now you're ready to drink in gorgeous programming. Well, here's the bad news: There's not much on right now, though the networks each seem to have picked a different specialty to produce in high-definition format.Here's a quick rundown on what the various Los Angeles affiliates and their networks plan to show in coming months in HDTV:

KCBS (Channel 2)/CBS network - One episode of ``Chicago Hope,'' three NFL football games, including one playoff game Jan. 9 or 10. No locally originated programming is planned for some time, but the station began transmitting HDTV Thursday with the space shuttle launch.

KNBC (Channel 4)/NBC network - Extensive programming plans, including ``The Tonight Show'' five nights a week, beginning sometime in the spring. Other announcements expected soon, probably of movies and miniseries. Affiliate began digital broadcasting Oct. 24. No locally originated programming planned, but ``upconverting'' all its standard programming to digital in the 1080i format.

KTLA (Channel 5)/WB network - Began programming Thursday with the space shuttle launch and related programming. The Rose Parade and selected Dodger games are planned. No network programming plans announced, though the WB already provides a digital, standard-definition signal to affiliates.

KABC (Channel 7)/ABC network - All ``Wonderful World of Disney'' shows on Sundays and movies of the week on Thursdays.

KCAL (Channel 9) - Will begin transmitting digitally by Thanksgiving. But other than a translated analog signal, no immediate plans for locally originated HDTV programming.

KTTV (Channel 11)/Fox network - Not scheduled to begin broadcasting in high-definition format until May.

KCOP (Channel 13)/UPN network - No plans for locally originated programming. No network programming plans announced, but UPN does provide a digital signal to affiliates.

KCET (Channel 28)/PBS network - Readying for locally originated programming, but transmitter won't be installed until spring. PBS nationwide will have digital programming kickoff Nov. 9 with ``Chihuli Over Venice'' in HDTV. On Nov. 10 and 11, non-HDTV documentary on Frank Lloyd Wright will be transmitted with several hundred megabytes of enhanced digital content.

- David Bloom

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Photo, Box

Photo: KTLA (Channel 5) is one of the local stations that has begun limited broadcasts of high-definition television.

Michael Owen Baker/Daily News

Box: A slow move by locals to HDTV format (See Text)