SCRTC Officials Meet with Congressional RepresentativesMarch 2010Discuss South Central Rural Telephone efforts to bringadvanced communications to our area. Washington D.C., March 22, 2010 – Representatives from SouthCentral Rural Telephone Cooperative met with Congressman Brett Guthrie and Congressman Geoff Davis this week todiscuss ways that small communications providers like SCRTC ensure consumers inour area enjoy access to affordable broadband services. Among the issues discussed were the National BroadbandPlan—policy-makers’ blueprint for creating universal access to broadband whichthe Federal Communications Commission delivered to Congress March 17. They also discussed the broadband fundingprograms created by last year’s economic stimulus bill. SCRTC representativespointed out many examples of how our broadband services have enhanced the livesof many rural and city residents. SCRTC representatives urged their congressional delegates tohelp ensure sustained support for broadband networks well into the future byadvocating policies that recognize the costs associated with building andmaintaining broadband infrastructure in rural and remote areas, and reorientthe federal Universal Service Fund (USF) for broadband deployment. USF supportsSCRTC’s efforts to deliver consumers advanced communications technologies ataffordable rates. SCRTC representatives were in Washington to participate in the NationalTelecommunications Cooperative Association’s Legislative & PolicyConference, March 22-24. During the annual event nearly 600 rural telecomrepresentatives from throughout the country gather in the nation’s capitol foreducational briefings about emerging rules and regulations and other industryissues. They also take part in visits to policy-makers on Capitol Hill and theFCC.
SCRTC and GEPB Partner for Customer Benefit November 2008 This year, the normal avalanche of locally originated programming is further complicated by the upcoming conversion of analog television broadcasting to digital broadcasting. As we get closer to the DTV transition, many television broadcast stations are deciding to go “digital” much earlier than the government mandated date of February 17, 2009. For folks that use antennas, this means that they will be required to install special set top boxes or upgrade their current televisions to digital tuners sooner than expected.
WBKO recently announced that they will implement their DTV Transition beginning around December 7, 2008. Because of WBKO’s unique technical complications, this transition is going to require that WBKO go off the air, both analog channel 13 and digital channel 33, for about 2 weeks for an antenna and transmitter change in Bowling Green. SCRTC knows that many folks in South Central Kentucky rely on the news and weather from WBKO and they consider it highly important that their television subscribers continue to be able to view the three WBKO stations.
SCRTC is proud to announce that their television subscribers will not lose WBKO during the 2 week outage. With the assistance of Insight Cable of Bowling Green, SCRTC has secured access to WBKO ABC, WBKO FOX and WBKO CW signals directly from the WBKO studios. With SCRTC’s vast multi-county fiber network they will be able to transport the WBKO signals back to Glasgow to feed their 18,000+ television customers.
“The transporting of that signal from Bowling Green back to Glasgow is enabled by our partnership with Bluegrass Cellular and their extensive fiber network,” said SCRTC General Manager, Max Phipps.
As a measure of good will and at the request of Glasgow Electric Plant Board, SCRTC has agreed to supply the WBKO feeds to their Glasgow EPB cable subscribers in the city of Glasgow. William Ray, Glasgow Electric Plant Board Superintendent is appreciative that SCRTC is willing to assist GEPB so that their viewers in the city of Glasgow can also have uninterrupted television service from WBKO. “We simply could not find a viable connectivity route through the city of Bowling Green. We have access to TVA fibers that span between Glasgow and Bowling Green, but they only go as far as the Corvette plant.”
Meanwhile, SCRTC subscribers have also been able to enjoy local election coverage from WCLU and were able to view the Glasgow Rotary Club Auction due to Glasgow EPB’s willingness to share those signals with SCRTC.
If you have any questions about the DTV Transition, you may contact either SCRTC at 678-2111 or 528-2361 or the Glasgow Electric Plant Board at 651-8341.
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