Mediacom adds 23 high-definition channels

Mediacom added 23 new high-definition channels to its cable offerings over the weekend, the company said on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The additional channels bring the total number of HD channels available to 101 for Mediacom customers in Linn, Johnson, and seven surrounding Eastern Iowa Counties.

Eight channels were added to the Digital Plus tiers, which are channels above the Family Cable package. They include CBS Sports HD, Fox Sport Soccer HD, and BBC America HD.

Fourteen additions were made to HD Premium channels, including HBO Latino HD, Showtime Extreme HD and Starz Kids & Family HD.

The boost past the 100-HD channel mark is a result of Mediacom's analog-to-digital reclamation project that eliminated analog reception for 50 channels in the Family Cable package, according to a statement.

Mediacom Regional Vice President Doug Frank said no other cable system in Iowa currently provides 100 HD video channels.

Frank said the company's digital transition in February and March of 2010 meant new digital adapters for customers still using analog TV sets, but Mediacom promised to deliver 100 HD channels and the fastest broadband speed.

The nine-county area around Cedar Rapids was its first site for the kind of upgrade that replaced a digital simulcast with a digital-only lineup for all but 12 channels. Since it was completed in early April, similar upgrades have been completed or started in six other service areas.