Cable companies should carry WV PBS, delegate says
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Delegate Barbara Fleischauer urges cable companies to carry WV PBS |
By Erica Peterson/Scott Finn
May 28, 2009 ·
Lawmakers are calling for a special bill to make West Virginia PBS available to Comcast customers in the Northern and Eastern Panhandles, and the Morgantown area.
Earlier this year, West Virginia Public Broadcasting worked out an agreement with Comcast so that the cable company would carry its digital channels on both upper and lower cable tiers. Now however, customers in northern parts of the state are unable to pick up West Virginia PBS on basic cable.
Instead, Comcast says they are in the Pittsburgh market, and can pick up Pittsburgh PBS.
Delegate Barbara Fleischauer says West Virginians should be able to watch the station that their state invests in.
"I just don’t get that I have a station in my hometown and I can’t see it. Now supposedly I have to go get a box or buy a new TV and watch Public Broadcasting on 712. Channel 712. Well, I don’t need 712 stations. I want this on basic.
"It’s a policy issue. We invest millions in WV PBS to make it digital and to make sure that everyone in our state can get it. And if they want to operate in our state, they should do like all the rest of the cable companies and restore West Virginia Public Broadcasting to basic tier. And that’s what this legislation would do."
Fleischauer says legislators are asking Gov. Joe Manchin to include this bill in with others he is asking the Legislature to consider during the upcoming special session.