Any "Old Timey" Cable Systems Still Around?

[FreddyE1977]

Theres a number of those systems in West Virginia, carrying from 12 to 20 channels. Landis-Pansy cable in WV carries WTTG and WUSA from DC, WHSV from Harrisonburg VA, WV PBS, NBC from Johnstown PA, CNN, ABC Family, TBS, ESPN 1, Spike, and maybe two more---no pay channels such as HBO.

only 12 channels and they give one of those to Spike? Yikes! ???

 

[Tim L]

Theres a number of those systems in West Virginia, carrying from 12 to 20 channels. Landis-Pansy cable in WV carries WTTG and WUSA from DC, WHSV from Harrisonburg VA, WV PBS, NBC from Johnstown PA, CNN, ABC Family, TBS, ESPN 1, Spike, and maybe two more---no pay channels such as HBO.

only 12 channels and they give one of those to Spike? Yikes! ???

Possibly a "Grandfathered" situatuion where the West Virginia systems may have carried TNN-The Nashville Network back in the day..

 

[crainbebo]

When we were on a trip to Sekiu, WA in 2006, we stayed in a [beep] motel called the Bay Motel. It was a horrid motel, with one-star service. We also got a horrid cable system: Wave Broadband. Their system only had 25 channels and here's what we got.
Also, it was one of the few motels not to have HBO.
2- CBUT Vancouver (CBC)
3- Showtime (premium channel)
4- KOMO Seattle (ABC)
5- KING Seattle (NBC)
6- CHEK Vancouver (CH at the time, now E!)
7- KIRO Seattle (CBS)
8- CHAN Vancouver (Global), now a local origination channel
9- KCTS Seattle (PBS)
10- USA
11- Superstation WGN (now WGN America) (no KSTW here)
12- A&E
13- KCPQ Tacoma (Fox)
14- TNT
15- AMC
16- Hallmark Channel
17- QVC
18- Discovery Channel
19- Spike
20- TBS
21- CNN
22- ESPN
23- Great American Country
24- Lifetime
25- The Learning Channel
26- Nickelodeon
-crainbebo

 

[vibe]

CB: I've got a lot of friends in low places. Sounds like a no star. I forgot to add a "system" that is still in existence in Santee SC albeit at a mom and pop motel, the Mansion Park. It is a combo of OTA stations from Columbia and Charleston SC (the big 5), plus about 10-15 stations off a satelite dish with a heavy emphasis on sports, Espn, Espn2, The golf Channel etc. Maybe 15-20 stations with the network signal quality ranging from fair to good depending on dial position on the TV and how close one's room is to the outdoor antenna.
Wonder what they'll do come February since Columbia and Charlestown are about 60 mi each as the seagull flies.

 

[fortmill]

CB: I've got a lot of friends in low places. Sounds like a no star. I forgot to add a "system" that is still in existence in Santee SC albeit at a mom and pop motel, the Mansion Park. It is a combo of OTA stations from Columbia and Charleston SC (the big 5), plus about 10-15 stations off a satelite dish with a heavy emphasis on sports, Espn, Espn2, The golf Channel etc. Maybe 15-20 stations with the network signal quality ranging from fair to good depending on dial position on the TV and how close one's room is to the outdoor antenna.
Wonder what they'll do come February since Columbia and Charlestown are about 60 mi each as the seagull flies.

Your luxury motel shouldn't have any trouble recieving the Columbia big 5 channels in digital in Santee. Of course, they'll have to change out their recievers and some of their antennas. They might just switch to getting their locals via DISH or Direct. HOWEVER, I have a feeling many MATV operators (motels, hospitals, apartments,etc.) will be in a fix on Feb 18 and will have to scramble to regain their local channels.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

Although it may not exactly resemble the typical "old-timey" cable system, the Comcast lineup for Monmouth, IL (in Warren County, and city population over 9,000), where I attended Monmouth College during the late '90s, IMO is a throwback to circa-1999 cable (most of their analog channel lineup has remained in the same channel positions since its lineup was realigned in early 1997, back when TCI operated the Monmouth system--later AT&T and Insight operated Monmouth's system and failed to upgrade that city's lineup all while those in neighboring Galesburg and in Peoria were expanded and more digital channels offered).

2 WQPT (PBS) Children & Family
3 KIIN (PBS) Children & Family
4 WHBF (CBS) News & Info
5 WEEK (NBC) News & Info
6 KWQC (NBC) News & Info
7 Access News & Info
8 WQAD (ABC) News & Info
9 WMEC (PBS) Children & Family
10 KLJB (FOX) Children & Family
11 WMBD (CBS) News & Info
12 KGCW (CW) Children & Family
13 QVC Lifestyle
15 FX Children & Family
16 WBQD (MNT) Children & Family
17 TBS Children & Family
18 USA Network Children & Family
19 The Weather Channel News & Info
21 WGN Children & Family
22 A&E Lifestyle
23 Discovery Channel Children & Family
24 Disney Channel Children & Family
29 BET Lifestyle
30 ABC Family Children & Family
31 CNBC News & Info
32 Nickelodeon Children & Family
33 Spike TV Lifestyle
34 HGTV Lifestyle
35 HSN Lifestyle
36 E! Lifestyle
37 Great American Country Music
38 CSPAN 2 News & Info
39 CSPAN News & Info
40 truTV Lifestyle
41 TLC Children & Family
42 Hallmark Channel Children & Family
43 ESPN Sports
45 Animal Planet Children & Family
46 MoviePlex Movies
47 TNT Children & Family
48 Sci-Fi Channel Lifestyle
49 Cartoon Network Children & Family
50 Fox News Channel News & Info
51 MTV Music
52 FSN Midwest Sports
53 AMC Movies
54 Food Network Lifestyle
55 MSNBC News & Info
56 Lifetime Lifestyle
57 Comcast SportsNet Sports
59 Comedy Central Lifestyle
61 CNN News & Info
62 Headline News News & Info
63 Oxygen Lifestyle
64 Local Programming News & Info
120 NOGGIN Children & Family
121 Discovery Kids Children & Family
161 GSN Lifestyle
162 BBC America Lifestyle
163 TV Land Children & Family
180 Bravo Lifestyle
201 Planet Green Lifestyle
220 Discovery Health Lifestyle
230 FitTV Lifestyle
270 History Lifestyle
272 The Science Channel Children & Family
401 Fox Soccer Channel Sports
402 ESPNews Sports
403 ESPN Classic Sports Sports
405 The Golf Channel Sports
406 VERSUS Sports
408 Speed Channel Lifestyle
409 ESPN2 Sports
501 Turner Classic Movies Movies
502 WE Lifestyle
503 Independent Film Channel Movies
517 Encore Movies
519 Encore Love Movies
521 Encore Mystery Movies
523 Encore Western Movies
527 Encore Drama Movies
529 Encore Action Movies
533 Starz Movies
535 Starz Edge Movies
550 HBO Movies
552 HBO 2 Movies
553 HBO Signature Movies
556 HBO Family Movies
562 Cinemax Movies
564 MoreMAX Movies
575 Showtime Movies
577 Showtime Too Movies
579 Showtime Showcase Movies
581 Showtime Extreme Movies
590 The Movie Channel Movies
592 The Movie Channel Xtra Movies
801 - 802 iN DEMAND PPV Pay-Per-View
844 Club Jenna Pay-Per-View
851 Playboy TV Pay-Per-View
901 - 948 Music Choice

And what you see above (cut and pasted from Comcast's page) for digital is what you get--no HD local channels, no Big Ten and NFL networks despite the programming agreements, etc.

 

[mjlarochelle]

2 WQPT (PBS) Children & Family
3 KIIN (PBS) Children & Family
4 WHBF (CBS) News & Info
5 WEEK (NBC) News & Info
6 KWQC (NBC) News & Info
7 Access News & Info
8 WQAD (ABC) News & Info
9 WMEC (PBS) Children & Family
10 KLJB (FOX) Children & Family
11 WMBD (CBS) News & Info
12 KGCW (CW) Children & Family

They sure used the term "Children & Family" quite loosely. Unless Famiy Guy is considered family programming in those parts.

 

[Robnoxious]

Some cable systems also featured FM radio stastions. This enabled those unable to hear FM because of distance, geographic location or both the chance to do so. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who used such a service and from how far away the FM stations they got came from.

I had an FM setup back in the 80's in Bakersfield CA through Warner-Amex cable (now Bright House). They piped in the more popular Los Angeles FMs at that time (KMET, KLOS, K-Earth, KIIS, KPWR, KOST, KBIG, KKHR/KCBS FM, and HBO audio in stereo that I can immediately recall). In cases where our local FMs were in close dial position to the stations that were piped in (KLLY 95.3/Bako and KLOS 95.5/LA comes to mind) the latter was moved to an arbitrary empty/dead space on the dial.

I used to record KMET all the time with this set-up and religiously listened to Dr. Demento's live local Sunday program that was only heard on KMET. I don't know if such a service is still offered but with the advent of streaming via the Internet it probably doesn't.

 

[crainbebo]

Any more reports of old timey cable systems?

-crainbebo

 

[cspotrun]

There is one system here in Albuquerque called TV West that is analog only with only about 25 or so channels.

my God man! 25 channels! this is terrible, they have more channels for the Terrorists at "Club Gitmo"!!!!!!!

 

[vibe]

I feel deprived for having lived with a 12 channel cable system (prev mentioned) that only offered the Big 4 (before Fox), 4 indies, an extra PBS a 2nd ABC, and 2 Spanish stations (if I properly recollect) back in the mid 70's. It actually met our needs and the cost was WAY under $10 a month.
Allowed us to spend more $$ on necessities like golf, beer, and Mexican food.

 

[LKellerIII]

My Parents(who live in SE Tennessee in Polk County,Turtletown)had a prehistoric Cable channel for awhile called Cudzu Cable. My Parents got HBO and a few others. They also got WSB from Atlanta by a TV antenna,that a lot of the time was too blurry to watch. That was the worst Cable system,I've seen. They have Ellijay Telephone and Cable now(A huge improvement!).

A cable company named after an invasive plant that has been the scourge of southern property owners and farmers for decades now. Cute.

 

[newsmark]

I'd be interested in hearing from someone who used such a service and from how far away the FM stations they got came from.

In Tyler, Texas, 1983-1988, the FM service included several stations from Dallas, about 100 miles away. The only one that mattered to me was KZEW, one of the great AOR stations of all time. I believe we also got KERA (NPR) and WRR (Classical) among others.

Interestingly enough, the stations did not appear on their over-the-air frequency. So the cable system must have picked them up and rebroadcast them on another frequency.