Illinois station, others, still getting calls over channel position switch

Springfield, Ill., PBS affiliate WSEC is receiving about 20 calls a day since its channel was recently shifted from its usual spot on Comcast cable to a higher digital tier, according to The State Journal-Register newspaper. "You would have to pay for an upgrade — if you just have the basic service, even those who have a digital set can’t get us," said Jerold Gruebel, station CEO. The channel's move was made because of a 2005 agreement between the Association of Public Television Stations and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association which says that in cities with more than one PBS station, cable providers may designate one station as the “primary” and other stations as “secondary.” Viewers in several other states are also irate. For more on the ongoing issue, look for the May 11 issue of Current.