Comcast is moving AMC and Court TV from analog to digital service in several markets, with the latest shift taking place in northern New Jersey, one of the operator’s larger systems.
The nation’s biggest cable operator sent out notices this week to subscribers in north Jersey saying it was shifting AMC, Court TV and leased access to digital, “on or after” Oct. 9. AMC will go to Channel 138, Court TV to Channel 187 and leased access to Channel 190.
“Analog TV service is becoming a thing of the past and we are moving to an all-digital world,” Comcast told subscribers in north Jersey.
Earlier this month, Comcast moved AMC, Toon Disney and leased access to digital from analog in the Richmond-Chesterfield, Va., area.
It’s not clear how many Comcast subscribers in New Jersey will lose AMC and Court TV. Comcast corporate spokeswoman Jenni Moyer noted that she couldn’t provide a list of markets that are moving networks from analog to digital since “decisions to move channels are made at the local level for different reasons.”
Officials at AMC and Court TV couldn’t be reached for comment.
Earlier this year, Comcast made switches in its channel lineups in a wide variety of systems across the country, moving analog networks to digital to free up bandwidth for advanced services, such as HD networks.
But the networks primarily moved off analog to digital in those instances were C-SPAN2, TV Guide Channel, Hallmark Channel and GSN. AMC and Court TV were not part of those switchouts.
However, in the case of AMC, near the start of the year Comcast moved the network to analog in St. Louis Park, Minn.
During a town hearing in St. Louis Park, a subscriber complained about the AMC move. A Comcast representative said the company was in a transition to all-digital channels, and that most of its new customers subscribe to digital.
Some 59% of Comcast’s video subscribers had digital service as of June 30, according to the company.
