Staff report
GLASGOW — The Glasgow Electric Plant Board has announced that effective Jan. 1, EPB cable customers will see some changes to the EPB lineup, including the return of some old faces. There will also be a cost increase.
Every three years, it is required by law that each cable company negotiate with broadcast companies to be allowed to carry their signals. These are the same companies that, in the past, could be received with an antenna, and charged no fees for airing their programs. However, broadcast companies, for the first time this year, are charging a monthly fee.
After extensive negotiations with the broadcast companies, the EPB has been successful in obtaining some old favorites that will be added to the lineup. Effective Jan. 1, look for the return of WSMV on EPB channel 9 and WHAS on channel 25, home of University of Louisville basketball coverage. In addition, two new channels, WMYO and WBKI, will appear on the EPB lineup.
Unfortunately, some broadcasters’ pricing demands require that some channels will no longer be carried, according to Billy Ray, EPB superintendent. The channels what will be dropped from the lineup are WLKY, WUXP, WZTV, WKRN and WAVE.
All other broadcast channels, including WNKY CBS and NBC; WTVF; WDRB; and WBKO ABC, Fox and CW will remain on air. Although extensive negotiations with WNKY, WTVF and WDRB resulted in lesser charges, WBKO remained at a premium rate and an adjustment in the basic cable charge will be necessary to continue carrying these broadcast stations. Effective Jan. 1, the EPB rate will increase by $1.75 per month for all customers.
“It was take it or leave it (with WBKO),” said Ray. “Everyone in the boardroom wanted to leave it, but we felt like the customers would still want (WBKO). It was the lesser of two evils.”
Additional changes to the EBP lineup include the upcoming move of G-4 from channel 64 to the EPB digital tier on channel 147 and C-Span2 from channel 77 to channel 99.
New channels coming to the EPB tier include Telemundo and Fox Business, and additions coming to the high definition tier include Golf, Versus and Fox Business.
