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North Country's Slic Network Solutions working to address TV broadcast signal issues

Posted 10/23/13

By JIMMY LAWTON NICHOLVILLE – Local internet, telephone and television provider, Slic Network Solutions, is working to address problems related to television broadcast signals from Watertown and …

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North Country's Slic Network Solutions working to address TV broadcast signal issues

Posted

By JIMMY LAWTON

NICHOLVILLE – Local internet, telephone and television provider, Slic Network Solutions, is working to address problems related to television broadcast signals from Watertown and Plattsburgh and hopes to have a solution soon.

Slic spokesman Jeff Yette said the company is experiencing signal strength issues related to its stations that are received “over the air.” This includes Watertown and Plattsburgh affiliates for Fox, NBC, CBS and PBS. The problems generally occur in inclement weather, including rain and high winds.

“With Dish Network dropping the Watertown local channels and the closure of DWS cable that served Star Lake, Cranberry Lake and Newton Falls, Slic wanted to provide an option for WWNY & WNYF viewers. The signal strength issue causes occasional pixelation in the video and choppy audio. Slic is working diligently to improve the quality of those stations.”

Yette said SLIC is considering short-term fixes such as raising the antenna or using a signal booster as well as long-term solutions, which could include establishing a direct connection with the other stations.

Yette said only about three or four stations are experiencing the issue, but acknowledged it is a major concern for Slic and its customers, because they are the local affiliates and the major networks. He said the high-definition versions of those stations are also affected.

“This is currently the company’s highest priority task and they expect to have robust local channels within just a few weeks’ time,” he said.

Yette said the company is attempting to keep customers informed about the issues and hopes to have them solved as soon as possible.

Although Slic is experiencing problems with a few stations, Yette said the company is moving forward at nice clip. He said TV service is now available in all service areas. Slic also surpassed the 4,000-customer mark in September and has completed 800 miles of fiber-optic cable network throughout Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties.

He said more grant funded expansion is continuing in surrounding counties and plans to expand its footprint to under-served portions of St. Lawrence County.