New HD channels to be added to campus cable

Students living in on-campus housing could soon see more high-definition channels on their TVs. The Resident Student Association has posted a survey under the student tab in myCATS where students can vote until Feb. 12 on high-definition channels that they would like to see added to GCSU cable for next fall.

On June 30, GCSU’s five-year contract with College Cable Services Inc. will expire, and Auxiliary Services will consider proposals from new and current vendors. Kyle Cullars, executive director of Auxiliary Services, plans on working with College Cable to renegotiate a contract that will include additional high-definition channels at no extra cost.

“When we get toward the end of this contract in the next few months, (we’ll) go back to College Cable and say, ‘Would you guys be willing to allow us . a certain number of HD channels as an amendment to our contract if we extend our contract for the next five years?’”

The exact number of new HD channels is uncertain until the contract’s renegotiation this summer, but RSA and Cullars are aiming for 10. Because the number of channels is not yet definite, RSA is not planning on releasing the survey results. Students will most likely have to wait until fall semester to find out which HD channels were voted most popular.

“There’s a possibility we could ask for 10 channels,” said Justin Stubbs, RSA vice president and junior pre-special education major. “But it may in the end be the top five that we get to choose . so I won’t necessarily publish the results since the amount of channels is unknown.”

The renegotiation this summer will be the deciding factor for the exact number of HD channels available in the fall, but the addition of more channels is almost definite.

“(Getting at least one HD channel) I think would not be a problem,” Cullars said.

The survey has a list of the 50 HD channels available, and residents vote for their top 10 favorites. Some of the options include HD versions of channels that are already on GCSU cable, such as ESPN, ABC Family and TBS. Other channels, such as HDNet and HD Theater, are more specifically made for HD.

“I would love it if Discovery became HD so I could see Bear Grylls in HD,” said Kaitlyn MacDonell, junior liberal studies major and Sanford resident assistant.

The survey is one way for RSA to consider input from residents, one of their top priorities.

“RSA is always looking for ways to make the students’ lives in housing more enjoyable . and we are trying to help them get what they want,” Stubbs said.

Posted by Courtney Kelly on Feb 5 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry