Save WPBS TV in Ottawa!

Rogers has decided to drop WPBS Watertown (channel 64) from its Ottawa cable lineup, despite what appears to be a sizable protest from its customers.

It is replacing it with Detroit PBS, which is 4 times farther away, which means there will no longer be PBS coverage of local events in our shared area, as there is now with Watertown PBS. We will also have less of a voice about our PBS programming, since we'll now have to compete with all of Detroit to get heard. In addition, WPBS may lose more than $300,000 in revenues from this decision since, as a border town, 70% of their audience is Canadian. Rogers claims this lineup change is at the request of its viewers, which is an insult to our intelligence considering the volume of protest against it.

WPBS is one of the few remaining channels that doesn't satisfy itself with airing a constant stream of brainless rubbish. It airs intelligent, educational, entertaining programs that serve the public good and Ottawans in particular. Thus, WPBS is one of the few reasons I still bother with Rogers Cable. Rogers' senseless decision to drop WPBS after decades of symbiotic relationship with Ottawan viewers is infuriating. It has prompted me to start researching UHF antennas in anticipation of their bullish insistence on ignoring their customers' wishes. I've put up with many other annoyances from them which have put me off, but if they remove their top channel too, that'll be the last straw.

The link above will bring you to a detailed description, along with a convenient list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses of officials you can contact to register your complaint. Please contact them and let them know how you feel. There is also a survey and petition you can sign here.