Public Access Channels On The Table
A second reading of a city ordinance that would reduce the number of public access channels on Cox Communications’ system is scheduled for Tuesday’s Omaha City Council Meeting.
Item No. 61 on the agenda calls for a reduction in the number of cable television channels (from six to three) that are dedicated to public, educational, and governmental programming, as well as to provide for improvements and enhancements to the cable television system.
The changes drew a large crowd – many in opposition of the proposed ordinance - when the Cable Television Advisory Committee took up the matter in February. The committee did not take any action or make any recommendations.
Cox Communications wants to eliminate three analog public access channels so it can expand the number of digital channels it offers. Opponents of the plan say moving the channels to the digital tier will limit the number of viewers because digital cable costs more.
A story in Friday’s edition of the Omaha World-Herald says Cox has agreed to provide faster Internet service, more digital TV channels and more high-definition programming in exchange for the reduction in public access channels.
11 comments:
Question: those channels in the mid-teens (Knowledge Network et al), are those considered public access or are they under the NETV umbrella?
the are public access the channels ar 4,16,17,21,22, and 23
Will those channels be replaced, or will us non-digital subscribers lose channels. I like the idea of reducing them, but I was something to replace them.
Good, get Omaha's version Imus, Ernie Chambers off the air. He makes so many racial comments yet he stays on the tube.
They hopefully will be combined into 3 channels. If you read the OWH story it will take time for the new channels and faster internet.
This was featured on KIOS a few weeks ago, and the guest, a respected dentist in the community with whom I am casually acquainted, gave some very convincing arguments that the reduction will effectively control access to those representing a certain viewpoint while leaving the effort of access virtually unchanged for those representing other viewpoints.
Left/Right Red/Blue politics aside, I say follow the money. Cox simply wishes to eliminate that which produces a negative cash flow and replace it with something that produces revenue.
They will be removed. The reason they need to removed is to make room for more digital and HD channels and faster internet. If they replaced them we would be in the same boat. Odds are you wouldn't miss anything.
Get rid of them. They are nothing but bash, bash, bash, complain, complain, complain, blame, blame, blame channels.
Get rid of NET 2 too, Nebraska's Spanish Public TV.
what came of the meeting yesterday?
nothing will be done until the 8th or 15th of May
I hope Cox goes from 6 to 3 public channels. Most of the shows on those channels are a joke anyway and are slanted to the far-left
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