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Madison
City Channel is Moving!
To
learn more, click on the image below.
Effective
September 30, 2008, Madison City Channel will move from our
position on Charter Cable Channel 12 to analog channel 98 and
digital channel 994. These
channels will continue to be part of Charter's "Basic" tier
of service, which means that there will be no additional cost to
you for our programming.
On digital channel 994, Madison
City Channel will be part of Charter's new "Public Affairs
Neighborhood" which will include channels such as Wisconsin
Eye (channel 995). Charter
will be moving CSpan 2 to 997 and will be launching CSpan 3 on
996, and is looking to move CSpan to 998 as soon as they are
contractually able to do so.
There is a certain logic in having the various
"government" channels such as Madison City Channel, Wisconsin
Eye, and CSpan grouped together.
However,
since Channel 994 will be a digital channel, in order to continue
to receive the "Public Affairs Neighborhood" after September
30, you will need a television or equipment to allow you to
receive a digital signal:
- If you are a Charter
subscriber and you currently have any Charter digital services
such as any of the digital tiers of programming, or a pay
service such as HBO or On-Demand or Pay Per View, and have a
settop digital converter, you're all set and need do nothing
more to be able to continue to receive Madison City Channel on
digital channel 994, and the rest of Charter's "Public
Affairs Neighborhood".
- If you do not have a
settop box, you can contact Charter at 1-800-581-0081 to make
arrangements to get a settop converter box.
- If you have a
"digital-ready" television with a built-in "QAM"
tuner, you're all set and need do nothing more to be able to
receive Madison City Channel on digital channel 994.
If your television is more than four years old, it
probably does not have a "QAM" tuner; check your owner's
manual to be sure.
- ALL Charter cable
subscribers in Madison will continue to receive Madison City
Channel on cable channel 98 starting on September 30th.
You will NOT need to purchase or rent any additional
equipment or pay any extra programming fee.
Don't
forget, all of Madison City Channel's award-winning programming
including our live coverage of City of Madison government meetings
will continue to be available through our website at www.madisoncitychannel.tv.
Beginning September 30, you will be able to "stream"
our on-air signal 24 hours a day at the website.
Please
be sure to note that this transition has nothing whatsoever to do
with the digital transition mandated by the Federal Communications
Commission which will take effect in February of 2009, and has
nothing to do with any government coupon or rebate program.
That transition only affects people who only receive
television signals broadcast over the airwaves, and has nothing to
do with cable television. If
you get a digital converter box through any government rebate
program, it will not allow you to receive Madison City Channel on
channel 994 as part of Charter's "Public Affairs
Neighborhood."
This
situation is similar to the early days of cable.
In the early to mid-1970's, when we added cable we all had
to have a settop box on top of our TVs in order to get the 12
channels they offered at that time. Then, in the 1980's,
"cable-ready" TVs started becoming the standard and so
folks no longer needed that settop box. Now, as cable
companies like Charter transition to a completely digital signal,
we will need these settop boxes, but more and more the standard
will be TVs which have digital ("QAM") tuners built in,
and in a few years just by attrition if you will, most of us will
not need to rent boxes any more.
Since
Charter's intent is to transition their programming to
completely digital, we are not sure exactly how long Madison City
Channel will continue to be available on analog channel 98, so we
encourage all of our viewers to make the jump to digital (either
by purchasing a TV with a QAM tuner or by renting a Charter
converter box) as soon as you're able.
Still have
questions? You're
not alone! WE'RE
HERE TO HELP. Give
Madison City Channel a call at 266-6501 or send us an email at citychannel@cityofmadison.com
and together, we'll get through this transition and continue to
provide you with a vital link to your local Madison government.
Brad Clark
Station Manager
Madison City Channel
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