Comcast Adds CBS College Sports HD

Comcast has added CBS College Sports HD. The network is available to customers with the Digital Preferred package.

Comcast becomes the last Jackson-area television provider to add the HD simulcast of CBS College Sports.

Comcast Adds SportSouth HD

Comcast has added the HD simulcast of regional sports network SportSouth. SportSouth HD is available on channel 402 to Expanded Basic subscribers with the HD programming add-on.

Comcast is the last Jackson-area provider to provide SportSouth HD. Although, Dish Network only offers SportSouth HD on a part-time basis.

National Geographic Wild Returns to Comcast

National Geographic Wild has returned to channel 108 for Jackson-area Comcast subscribers. Fox Entertainment Group announced last year that National Geographic Wild would launch in the United States for the first time, replacing Fox Reality Channel. When the new network launched on March 29th, Comcast initially carried Nat Geo Wild. However, by late April, the reality channel had returned to channel 108.

National Geographic Wild is now available on all four of the major Jackson-area television providers.

Comcast Adds Ion Life, Qubo

Comcast has added Ion Life and Qubo to its lineup. Ion Life is located on Channel 181. Qubo is on Channel 183. Both channels are part of the Digital Preferred package.

In addition, Ion has been duplicated on Channel 178. It is also located on Channel 82. It was previously located on Channel 60, which is now occupied by AMC. Ion is available in the Expanded Basic and Digital Starter packages and greater.

Comcast Adds Logo

Comcast has added Logo to its lineup on Channel 163. Comcast is the last area provider to add the LGBT-themed network. It will be available to subscribers with the digital preferred package or higher.

DirecTV Replaces Fox Reality with Nat Geo Wild

Three months after Fox Reality was officially replaced by National Geographic Wild, DirecTV came to an agree with the Fox Entertainment Group to provide the nature-themed network. Fox Reality Channel, which was on Channel 250 on the DirecTV channel lineup, went away on the morning of June 30th. National Geographic Wild is now located on Channel 283, next to Animal Planet.

DirecTV was the third area provider to switch from Fox Reality programming to Nat Geo Wild programming. Comcast, which had originally carried Nat Geo Wild at launch then flipped the switch back to Fox Reality, is the last area provider still offering Fox Reality Channel. Though Channel 108 continues to be labeled FRLTY and the channel continues to show Fox Reality programming, the channel guide listings are now National Geographic Wild programs. In addition, the company’s channel guide also indicates Nat Geo Wild has replaced Fox Reality. We’ll pass along more information as it becomes available.

FLN Becomes Cooking Channel

Fine Living Network, which had come to be called FLN, has been replaced with the new Cooking Channel by its owner Scripps Networks Interactive. The change took place at sign on yesterday, May 31st. Unlike the recent transition of Fox Reality Channel to Nat Geo Wild, the change from FLN to Cooking Channel actually took place on all Jackson-area TV providers.

The new network was created to complement the successful Food Network. It will be geared more toward instructional cooking shows, whereas Food Network has leaned more on reality-based competitive programming over the past several years. Along with a host of new programs, the network will also feature many shows from familiar faces on the Food Network, and some popular cooking shows from years past including Julia Child, Galloping Gourmet, and Two Fat Ladies.

HD and on-demand versions of Cooking Channel are planned, but have not yet launched. The new network can be found in the same channel location where FLN was previously located on all Jackson-area providers: Comcast channel 122 (Digital Classic/Preferred or higher), DirecTV channel 232 (Choice and above), Dish Network channel 113 (America’s Top 250 or Dish Family), and U-Verse channel 456 (U200 and above).

ACSI Posts Subscription Television Customer Satisfaction Ratings

In a press release yesterday, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) announced scores for the nation’s major subscription television companies. Topping the list was fiber-optic provider Verizon FIOS with a score of 73. FIOS is not currently available in the Jackson area, and there are no plans for it to be added in the near future.

The highest rated company that is available in the area is AT&T U-Verse, which came in as a close second with a rating of 72. Among other providers available in the area, Dish Network topped DirecTV for the first time since 2005 with a score of 71. The change was attributed to Dish’s new aggressive marketing campaign and recent price increases by DirecTV. Although earlier in the year Dish Network also raised prices, and a second price hike is planned for next month. DirecTV scored a 68. Comcast received the lowest score of the local subscription television providers with a 61, though this was a 3% improvement from last year’s results.

Fox Reality Back on Comcast in Jackson

After carrying the new U.S. version of National Geographic Wild from its launch on the morning of March 29th, Comcast in the Jackson area has replaced the new network with the now-defunct Fox Reality Channel on channel 108. While Nat Geo Wild was carried over the past month, the digital cable box guide still labeled the channel as Fox Reality and still showed the Fox Reality programming grid.

The National Geographic Wild website indicated the network should be available in the Jackson area on Comcast channel 108. However, a Comcast customer service representative indicated it was not a temporary technical issue. The CSR did indicate that National Geographic Wild would be coming soon.

MLB Extra Innings Free Preview Begins Today

Baseball fans rejoice! Major League Baseball is back. Before the season gets into full swing, a free trial of MLB Extra Innings is being offered from today through April 11th. MLB Extra Innings is the only way to see out-of-market games (that aren’t otherwise being carried nationally on FOX, ESPN, TBS, or MLB Network).

MLB Extra Innings is available to Jackson area subscribers of Comcast and DirecTV. Dish Network and AT&T U-Verse do not currently offer this package.

On Comcast, MLB EI is available through iN DEMAND on channels 771-784. Though iN DEMAND distributes HD simulcasts of some of these games, they don’t appear to be available on Comcast in the Jackson area.

On DirecTV, a much wider variety of games is available on channels 720-749. The extra channel slots allow DirecTV to provide dual feeds (both home and away feeds) of most games. Also, most games are available in HD.