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TheBuzz
Erika Engle
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Oceanic raises its potential channel count
OCEANIC Time Warner Cable has drastically increased its potential channel count for high-definition TV owners.
Digital cable customers may have noticed a new, four-digit channel number format on their cable boxes, up from three digits.
The change is aimed at digital cable subscribers with high-definition TV sets who also pay for Oceanic's HD service.
Before last week, the on-screen guide listing Oceanic's more than 370 channels ended at 999.
Now, 15 new channel numbers appear on the guide, ending at 1990 -- but with four digits, the potential obviously goes much higher.
"We're really kind of positioning ourselves for HD, since that's where all the channels will be growing," said Alan Pollock, vice president of marketing for Oceanic.
The new HD channel numbers appear to be a duplication of other channels, primarily 900-series HD channels, however, the National Geographic Channel, on 347, is also now on 1347.
Two new channels will be added to the four-digit end of the lineup by summer, Pollock said.
ESPN2 in HD will be on one, while the second will be split between the Golf Channel and a channel called Versus, which features such sports as ice hockey, boxing, and the Tour de France.
Several stations pop up more than once on the digital cable lineup. For instance, KHNL-TV is on Channel 8, digital KHNL is at Channel 88 and high-definition KHNL is at both 938 and 1008.
KITV, at Channels 6 and 936, does not have an 80-series digital channel, but it will eventually, Pollock said.
As for KGMB-TV and viewer demand for its high-definition offerings on cable, "nothing's going to happen until at least June on that. We're working with the new owners of KGMB," Pollock said.
The station was sold in February.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at:
eengle@starbulletin.com