Just looked this tidbit up.

Channels on ext basic that arent even used.
15
16
18
41
50
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Take the home shopping channels and move them to digital along with UNI.
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Put G4, TVguide, dtoon, GSN back on the ext basic teirs.

I think that Charter is pulling some kind of s*it right now. I would encourage all of you to do what I am going to do as soon as it is available. I currently have AT&T as my phone and internet provider and as soon as they have their U-Verse TV available in my area, I'm signing up and leaving Charter in my dust! I'm told AT&T's new service will be available in my area of Madison possibly before the end of the year or early next year. Either is too far away for me but I'll wait. They do currently have satelite avaiable for those of you interested but that's not for me.

I think Charter is thinking they can pull any type of crap and that people who lost favorite channels because they put them as digital only now will switch and give them more money. I hope none of you will do that and get them where it will hurt which is in their pockets! It's all about the money for them--they have taken their customers for granted for way too long so I will happily go elsewhere!

Good point, JohnDoe, and maybe JATV 12 would be available in other parts of the country for travelers.

A few real facts are in order here:

1. The DTV conversion affects only viewers who get their TV using an antenna. Cable Subscribers are not affected by the DTV conversion. Go to dtv.gov

2. The cable companies were as much behind the new statewide franchising law as anyone.
The proposed move of channels 12 and 13 in Janesville is just one benefit Charter gets from statewide franchising.

Nina, I subscribed to Netzero for $10/month. They display an add while you're dialing, but nothing beyond that. I called them to cancel (because I was offended by some of the adult adds that they displayed while dialing, and I was trying to cut costs), and they offered me $5/month fixed. If you want even lower rates, and you can live with add banners being displayed at all times when online, you can get NetZero for free (this is why they were named NetZero).

DrTalk, what are some of those alternatives to getting the meeting info other than public access TV and in-person?

I don't have cable, so I really have no pony in this one. I do think, however, that the change to digital is a boondoggle because, when I plugged in my convenient box, I lost 3 major channels. Makes you wonder whether the cable companies were behind the switch.

WSP: If you don't mind me asking, what are the rates for dish network, and who do you go through?

I find it funny they are moving the TVGuide channel off 2 into the digital tier when the digital tier's remote has a button that brings up its own tv guide. Kinda leaves us with ext basic and basic screwed if we didnt go pick up a paper tv guide.

If satellite T.V. is the way to go..and they are so local friendly?...then why can't they carry local programming?
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Money talks...and BS walks...right?

Dish Network, babyyyyyy.

Ah, janesvilleman you are so wrong, it was not the cable company who pushed for the state wide franchise, but it was the Telephone company so that they could offer video service without having to pay local franchise tax fees. And may I add that the only reason there is currently local access channel to even watch is because of the franchise agreements between the cable companies and the cities. most of the time the money that the cable companies have to pay to the cities to even offer service pay for those local acess channels.

Yes, actually going to the meetings (school board, city council, etc) is a wonderful alternative, yet it is not feasible for those of us working a full-time day job and a part-time evening job during the week. (by the way, who is offering dial-up for $5 per month? I would love to pass that info on to some of my friends as I paid more than that prior to being able to upgrade...thanks for any info you can give)Certainly I have seen we have no "rights" to much of anything, nor do I believe in mass "entitlement", but I simply think Charter could wait to make this move when other local broadcasts will turn digital in February...a timeline for which the public has been being prepped for.

Well, before this state law, we DID have a right to public access. It was the price that cable companies paid for having local monopolies. This state law specifically and directly superseded those agreements (with the help, as I understand it, of recent federal legislation sought by the cable companies, so that they could scrap all those local contracts).
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That said, it's past time that we started making use of technology and put meetings up someplace like Google Video (anyplace that allows 3 or 4 hour videos -- YouTube does not). I'd like real time as well but it is more difficult. Uploading video, though, is something that practically any teenager can do (and afford).
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The cable industry is facing stiff competition from satellite and telephone providers and I can't imagine one that is more deserving of facing technological obsolescence. It's not that they weren't innovators in their day, but they all used their monopolies in the most craven way, developing one of the worst reputations for customer service of any industry, and good riddance to them.

Amen, ktaustin. We don't have a right to cable TV. You are also correct when you say that we are not, nor should we be, a democracy.
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I don't have cable TV or satellite nor will I ever get ether one. There are alternatives to getting the same information.

We do NOT have a right to free public access cable. Free public access broadcast, maybe. The only thing we absolutely have a right to, is to get off our butt and go in person to the city council meetings, school board meetings, etc. And I could remind you that we do not (nor should we) live in a democracy. It's not just a matter of semantics; think about it.

"While I agree some things such as the school board should be on the Internet, it still won't help some of the poorest who can't afford to have the internet!"
If you are too poor to afford internet (which costs me $5 a month), then you are too poor to afford cable tv.

Coincidentally, I still am on dialup (24k dialup), and while video is out of the question, I can still download audio at a reasonable pace (maybe even streaming if the bitrate is low). I would think at a minimum that they could audio record council/board meetings and offer them online. Even better would be to have transcripts posted.

When Charter believes the populace doesn't care about how their government works (and don't care to learn), when they think many don't have children in school so they'll ignore what the School Board is doing, when they think viewers would rather watch JPAC performances on TV rather than give in-person support to great local artistic endeavors, and when local TV on informative issues is considered inconsequential, then Charter gets the green-light to move local cable access to a high-level subscriber service. I prefer to think that, in a REAL democracy, ALL have the right (not privilege) to FREE LOCAL CABLE ACCESS so they can be an informed, enlightened, and enriched people. Bad for Janesville that Charter believes money speaks louder than democracy in action.

Charter should wait to make the move of these channels (12 and 13)to coincide with the February 2009 mandate; just causing more headaches for people and getting a few more months of rental fees for the box prior to February. While I agree some things such as the school board should be on the Internet, it still won't help some of the poorest who can't afford to have the internet! Or like me, I had "dial-up" until less than a year ago because I couldn't afford the extra money for faster service - and dial-up doesn't exactly allow you to "stream" broadcasts or video in watchable format!

Alot of people WILL miss these channels. I know for a fact that some businesses will have JATV record a special event, which will later be shown on the channel. Its bad enough when alot of people in the community don't learn about something interesting that they've missed until they've seen it on JATV.

"If charter moves these channels to the digital only area, I will be cancelling my cable tv and internet."
Ok, then how will you watch candidate forums, council meetings, etc? As someone who doesn't subscribe to cable anyway, I already don't have access to these things which I would like to see. Why aren't they made available online? In today's age I would think that would garner far more viewership than putting these meetings/forums on public access cable tv.

"Why should I replace something that works just because the cable company wants to make money renting a stupid box?"
That's a drastic over-simplification of why they are switching to digital. They're not doing this just so they can screw people. While I think the transition to digital broadcast could have gone smoother, there are valid reasons for making the transition. As for charging money for the converter box, that's because the boxes cost money to make.

If you don't have a Digital Ready TV by Feb 2009 you will not be able to get any signal from the local off air stations unless you have purchased a digital ready box from a store. This is thanks to the FCC mandate for all T.V. stations to switch to digital to free up bandwidth.
The other was is if you have cable or satillite. So if you think that it is all the Cable Company's fault, your wrong! Thank your Government.

Would these channels be missed? Well think about it. Channel 12 is what airs the city council meetings live and recorded. Channel 12 airs the candidate forums for city council, school board, and several state senate and assembly races. Channel 13 airs school board meetings. I guess the channels would not be missed if you didn't care about knowing the activities of the government bodies that most impact your taxes and services.
If charter moves these channels to the digital only area, I will be cancelling my cable tv and internet. I am not going to pay extra to rent a converter box to watch the two channels I care about just so they can make room for another shopping channel. As for buying a tv that will get the channel, my tv works just fine - clear picture, clear sound, everything. Why should I replace something that works just because the cable company wants to make money renting a stupid box?

The two Janesville channels, 12 and 13, should stay where they are.

YES. These channels would definitley be missed. Charter continues to nauseate me.

Would these channels be missed anyways?