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Pending bills in the Massachusetts House and Senate would require cable companies to upgrade services at local community access television stations.
The bills (H 2682/S 1857) would give the stations high definition channels and add the community access shows to the digital menu guide.
Comcast, Verizon and RCN are all pushing back in opposition, saying the stations should abide by the existing franchise agreements.
But WestfordCAT and most community access television stations already record all programs in high definition, and support the pending legislation.
“We are completely HD ready,” said WestfordCAT Executive Director Lauren Horton. “The ball is now in Comcast’s and Verizon’s court.”
Everything in the station’s studio and all of its field equipment have been HD ready since 2013, Horton added. The town’s governmental meeting rooms and the station’s transmission equipment — the final steps to readiness — were converted in April.
The full story can be found here.
