EDISON — Public access television channels might be lost to some Edison residents this coming fall unless they take steps to adapt to Cablevision’s transition into digital.
The cable provider will cease to offer local public access stations to Edison customers, which includes the school district’s Channel 14 and the municipality’s Channel 15, to nondigital subscribers beginning Sept. 16. Those with digital cable, roughly 89 percent of Cablevision’s customers, however, will be unaffected. Still, the remaining people who are still on analogue will need to order a special cable box from the company in order to continue receiving local access channels, though this is free of charge. It will remain in place for the use of their customers so long as they continue to use Cablevision.
People can order these special adapters by going to the Web site www.cablevision. com/local or by calling 516-803- 2148.
“Cablevision has been leading the transition to digital television in a customer friendly way, and more than 89 percent of our customers today have digital service, the highest rate of digital pen- etration in the nation. As public access shifts to digital, we have ensured that any analog customer who wants to continue to receive this programming can do so at no additional cost. We note that our phone company and satellite competitors either make a dramatically inferior commitment to PEG [public education and government] programming, or do not offer it at all,” said Patrick MacElroy, director of media relations for Cablevision, in an emailed statement.
This is part of a larger, overall transition in television from analog to digital. Broadcasters will stop sending their programming over the analog channels in February of next year. People with nondigital televisions will need to order a special digital box in order to continue watching TV.
Cablevision is the primary cable company in the Edison area. Around the beginning of July this year, the township council approved a 15-year contract with the cable company, though the vote had to be recalled due to a procedural error. So far, no date has been announced for when the council will revote on the contract.
For more information on the February transition to digital cable, residents should go to www.dtv.gov.