Topeka, Kansas gets another pay-TV option: AT&T's U-verse TV
[Thanks, Kevin]
kansas posts
Good news, Kansas -- not only has Cox gone live with the two high-def stations it promised it would, but it's apparently bringing along three others. According to a local, FOX News HD (605), AMC HD (639) and Cartoon Network HD (640) have all emerged on the EPG, and we reckon we speak for everyone in saying that there's hardly anything more awesome than new HD channels that you weren't expecting.
Cox Communications dropped a nice bundle of HD nets on Kansas in late October, but apparently it's not quite done for the year. Effective December 30th, the carrier will add SPEED HD and FX HD to Shawnee County (other areas aren't specified) on slots 641 and 651, respectively. Two days later, MLB Network will show up on digital cable slot 263, with no high-def accomplice in tow. For shame.
Stay sharp, Time Warner Cable subscribers -- we've got a feeling the switched digital video wave is just beginning to swell. Merely hours after hearing that San Diego residents were receiving a letter informing them that SDV was on the way, one particular user in Kansas City has apparently received the same. Better still, he was kind enough to post the full text, which explains that a number of "lesser-viewed" channels will be delivered via SDV as of August 20th. Of course, this means that existing CableCARD users will be out of luck unless they pick up a tuning adapter, and while some carriers have already committed to handing them out to those in need for free, TWC is entirely more ambiguous. The exact verbiage reads: "It is currently contemplated that the Tuning Adapter will be provided at no additional charge," but those unwilling to wait will be forced to pick up one of the carrier's own set-top-boxes in order to see the stations. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

About this time last week, we had hopes that WIBW-TV and Cox Communications could come to terms and put this spat behind, but unfortunately, things didn't exactly work out. As of right now, Topeka, Kansas' CBS affiliate is being dumped from Cox's lineup, and while talks are reportedly continuing, TV viewers in the area now have to turn to alternative methods to catch CBS programming. On an update on the station's website, it actually recommends that consumers call up DISH Network and DirecTV to see what kind of deals they can nab should they be too far away to pull in the signal via OTA. Here's to hoping this situation sees an amicable resolution, and fast.
Well, it's Saturday folks, and for Cox customers in Topeka, Kansas, WIBW-TV is still going strong. According to an updated article on the station's website, Topeka's CBS affiliate is going to remain on Cox Communications' lineup for just a few more days (at least), as "substantial progress" has reportedly been made in determining how much Cox should pay WIBW. As of now, the deadline has been pushed to March 8th, but at this point, we've no reason to believe the bigwigs at Cox won't come to their senses and pony up.
Though Allegiance Communications may not be known very well nationally, we're sure mid-sized markets in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas are quite familiar with the name. Nevertheless, said cable carrier has reportedly just "completed the first phase of channel additions for 2008," and there's definitely some HD love mixed in. According to Oklahoma's Tecumseh Countywide News, local residents can now access A&E HD, HGTV HD, Food Network HD, National Geographic HD and Starz HD on channels 972, 973, 975, 976 and 974, respectively. Better still, the outfit has also promised that ESPN2 HD will be joining the fold in the coming months, and just in case that still wasn't enough, subscribers can look forward to Chiller, Fox Business HD and RFD HD showing up in the not-too-distant future. Not bad for a rural carrier, huh?
As enthralled as we are to see new HD channels arrive in varying parts of the world, it's equally depressing to hear when any vanish. Nevertheless, we're looking at yet another classic battle between station and carrier in Topeka, Kansas, as the region's CBS affiliate (WIBW-TV) is threatening to remove its analog and digital HD signals from Cox unless it ponies up in a hurry. Needless to say, WIBW feels that it's not being compensated fairly from Cox for its retransmission of signals, and unless the two parties strike a deal before midnight on Friday, citizens in the area will have to bust out the antenna (or switch to satellite) to catch the looming March Madness. So, what exactly is WIBW asking for? A penny a day for each Cox subscriber.








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