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Are cable systems required to carry digital tv sub channels?

M

MediaBoy4Radio

Are cable systems required to carry digital tv sub channels?.........thank you
 
no, although most do if the subchannels are network affiliates like CW, Fox, etc. Most cable cos will carry the subchannels just to please the local channels that operate them or because they have significantly viewed programming, but there's nothing on the books that requires them to carry subchannels.
 
I'd guess a lot depends on the deals the cable systems and the local channels make. Charter in Jackson, TN carries the 3 PBS subchannels for WLJT and Cool TV from WJKT and weather radar from WBBJ. They also carry This TV and Bounce from WMC in Memphis, but they don't carry Antenna TV from WREG, the only other Memphis station on Charter with a subchannel.
 
Comcast carries a few here in New Britain, CT:

WFSB 3-3 Hartford - Eyewitness News Now
WTNH 8-2 New Haven - Bounce TV
WUVN 18-2 Hartford - LATV *
WTXX 20-2 Waterbury - ThisTV
WEDH 24-2 Hartford - CPTV 4U
WEDH 24-3 Hartford - Create
WVIT 30-2 New Britain - Weather Plus
WVIT 30-3 New Britain - Universal Sports [until the end of the year]
WCTX 59-2 New Haven - TheCool TV
WTIC 61-2 Hartford - Antenna TV

* One of the WUVN-TV subchannels is Telefutura, which I think is 18-3 with an antenna. In years past, that network was on analog WUTH-CA channel 47 of Hartford.

My 26" Sanyo LCD HDTV is from 2006. The QAM assignments for the local channels are completely random when no converter is used. As an example, I receive TheCool TV (WCTX-TV 59-2) as 47-2.
 
Some stations use negotiation to get their subchannels on. Instead of asking for money payment for the cable company to carry the main channel, they let the cable company carry the main channel for free if the cable company will carry the subchannels as well.
 
This-TV (WPIX 11-3) has virtually no cable carriage in the NYC area, but Antenna TV (WPIX 11-4) is carried on most cable systems. So I think this all has more to do with cable companies negotiating with the actual network, rather than negotiating with the station carrying that network.
 
As you can see this while thing is just one big mess. Some carried, some not. If cable can
carry 1000 channels, surely they should be able to add about 15+ sub channels. Wake up
FCC, change it.
 
Probably depends on the deal with the station, some subchannels appear on the basic package while others are only available on the digital package, if you have QAM tuner don't need the digital package for the subchannels if they are carried on that package
 
gregg75 said:
As you can see this while thing is just one big mess. Some carried, some not. If cable can
carry 1000 channels, surely they should be able to add about 15+ sub channels. Wake up
FCC, change it.
Click to expand...
As long as Washington is corrupted & polluted by lobbyists & other SIGs, I wouldn't expect ANYTHING out of the beltway

Sad but true..... :(

Cheers & 73 ;D
 
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