from: Media Mouse [1]

Community Access Channels Moved from Basic Cable in Michigan

December 18, 2007

Today, the Grand Rapids Community Media Center (CMC) announced that Grand Rapids’ public access channels, GRTV and LiveWire, will no longer be offered as part of Comcast’s “basic” cable package. They will now only be available to digital subscribers. Comcast made the decision under options it was granted in last year’s State Uniform Video Franchise Act and has moved all community access channels in Michigan to the 900 tier of their digital cable service.

According to the CMC, the change was made with “little advance notice to, and no consultation with, public, education or government access stations.” The CMC estimates that half of local cable subscribers do not have digital cable and will no longer be able to access the station. Comcast is offering one free “converter box” per household for a year, but the CMC cites numerous problems with this including that programs are not included in the navigational menu and that there is no free assistance for installing the boxes.