A new channel, programmed by PBS and available only on digital cable, launched in parts of South Carolina Wednesday.
The South Carolina Channel led off with a program featuring native son Gen. Charles Bolden, a former commander at NASA, then segued into coverage of the 10-day state fair.
Backers said the channel would run 24/7 and offer programming ranging from the state’s General Assembly sessions and committee meetings and hearings to student symphonies and lectures at local universities.
The launch was made possible in part by a commitment from the state’s two largest cable operators. Time Warner Cable has slotted the new network on channel 802 on its digital tier, available to midland systems around Columbia, while Comcast Corp.’s Charleston system offers it on channel 192.
A smaller operator -- Comporium Communications in the Charlotte, N.C., suburbs -- is carrying the service on digital channel 202.
