THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 17, 1994 TAG: 9406160047
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
DATELINE: 940617 LENGTH: Medium
You responded to a recent column in which I suggested that Cox Cable replace the less than scintillating C-SPAN 2 and Prevue channel with the Cartoon Network, Nostalgia Television, ESPN 2 or Television Food Network.
{REST} ``I'd also enjoy seeing the Cartoon Network and The History Channel you mentioned in your column. But I'm not for sacrificing C-SPAN 2, which I like. It seems to me that there is still a lot of space available on the local cable systems, such as channels 60 to 70.'' - Cliff Hicks, Norfolk
(COMMENT: Whenever I ask local cable operators if there is space to add more channels, I'm told that the systems are maxed out. Funny how they find room for the lucrative pay-per-view channels. The Television Food Network is up and running. The History Channel, from the folks at A&E, is in the planning stage).
``In response to your column about not seeing the Cartoon Network or the other fun cable channels, I'd like to say that the only way to go is to buy a satellite dish. My 6-year-old adores the Cartoon Network, which I can tune in 24 hours a day. I also get Nostalgia Television, ESPN 2, all of the channels you mentioned. We live on a farm, and decided to give ourselves the satellite dish as a present.'' - Connie Knight, Chesapeake
(COMMENT: I was thinking about investing in a satellite dish but was turned off when I learned I'd have to pay a hefty price for the hardware to un-scramble the channel signals. And of course, you don't see any local channels on satellite. But it is one way I could watch ``NYPD Blue'' every Tuesday night now that we are in the eighth month of the ``Blue'' blackout in Hampton Roads).
``I'd like the idea of seeing Nostalgia Television. But not if we'd have to knock C-SPAN 2 off my cable system to get it. C-SPAN 2 is a great service, because we get the Senate happenings on it as well as programs from the National Press Club. I am with you in saying that `NYPD Blue' should be seen locally. I'm lucky in that I live close enough to the Richmond area to pull in the show from there. It's great. Keep bugging WVEC about not carrying it.'' - Chris Astle, Newport News
(COMMENT: I have no gripe about C-SPAN 2. It is a first-class news and information outlet. But since we already have C-SPAN, I'd be willing to sacrifice C-SPAN 2 for ESPN 2, Nostalgia Television or one of the more than 90 new channels I saw previewed at a recent cable show in New Orleans).
``While I would like to see The Cartoon Network, I am not willing to trade C-SPAN or C-SPAN 2 for it. They are two of my favorite channels along with CNN.'' - Chris Johnson, Virginia Beach
(COMMENT: While ratings for CNN have been off lately, largely because there hasn't been a national or international crisis to pull in a large viewership, CNN's numbers continue to be high in Hampton Roads. When the pot begins to boil in war affairs, Navy folk turn on CNN).
``Instead of having a bunch of cable channels with colorized versions of old movies, let's have some of these new interactive cable channels. Interactive cable beats seeing `The Brady Bunch' reruns for the 16th time.'' - Meg Bruner, Virginia Beach
(COMMENT: Funny you should mention the interactive cable channels, Meg. I'm preparing a column about interactive cable, which I saw demonstrated in New Orleans. These interactive channels will be available soon).
``Carrying C-SPAN and C-SPAN 2 is the right thing for a cable system to do. Leave C-SPAN 2 alone unless you can get Cox Cable to bring back the Boston station which C-SPAN 2 replaced. I sure miss seeing the Boston Red Sox.'' - Ed B., Virginia Beach
(COMMENT: It was a black day for Boston baseball, hockey and basketball fans on the Cox system when WBSK was dropped in favor of C-SPAN 2). by CNB