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> June 18, 2007 - Translator

GRASSROOTS TV AND COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT TV
NOW AVAILABLE ON TRANSLATOR SYSTEM

In a process that began with numerous citizen requests, the Pitkin County TV & FM Translator advisory board and staff recently completed phase one installation of the Community Government TV (CGTV) and GrassRoots TV broadcast signals from the county’s translator system.  The Pitkin County Board of Commissioners hopes to offer the signals from all county translator sites contingent on budget and licensing issues in the near future.

“For Pitkin County television viewers without cable or satellite access who want to watch Pitkin County Commissioner meetings and other government-sponsored programming on CGTV and community-generated programming on GrassRoots TV, this is very good news,” said Pitkin County Public Works Director, Brian Pettet. “It is also a positive example of a successful working partnership between elected officials, the county translator department staff, and a community non-profit,” Pettet said. 

GrassRoots TV is now available in the downtown Aspen area via translator on channel 19. CGTV is available on translator channel 21. The microwave signal originates at the Red Brick Center for the Arts at the GrassRoots TV studio and is beamed to the lower the Red Mountain translator. This translator serves viewers in the City of Aspen west to the Pitkin County Airport.

According to Renee Nofziger, TV & FM Radio Translator Administrator for Pitkin County, “If you can’t see lower Red Mountain, you won’t receive the signal,” which means coverage in Woody Creek or Snowmass Village is still in progress.

The next link in the “daisy chain” will bounce a signal from this first site at lower Red Mountain off the Williams Hill site with coverage in parts of Woody Creek, Old Snowmass, Capitol Creek, and the Gerbazdale area leading into Snowmass Canyon.  Phase three will jump from Williams Hill to the Crown Mountain translator and cover Basalt, parts of Emma, E. Sopris Creek, El Jebel and parts of Missouri Heights. 

From Crown Mountain, the signal will connect to Sunlight Mountain with coverage in areas of Glenwood Springs.  The Crown Mountain link is also needed to make the last links from Sunlight Mountain to the Thomasville and Elephant Mountain sites.  Coverage will include Meredith and Thomasville from the Thomasville site, and Redstone and portions of the Crystal River Valley from the Elephant Mountain site.

GrassRoots TV is currently available via Comcast cable on channel 12 and CGTV is on channel 11. These cable TV channels will not change with the addition of the new channels broadcast on the translator system.  Neither GrassRoots TV nor CGTV are available on satellite, but GrassRoots TV12 can be viewed via live stream at www.grassrootstv.org.

“With the installation of an outdoor antenna and the connection or activation of an A/B switch on your television set, you can switch between cable or satellite to capture or view local broadcast television. This is also exciting news for Pitkin County cable or satellite viewers who want to view local government or community television,” said Nofziger. 

For more information, contact Renee Nofziger, Pitkin County TV & FM Radio Translator Administrator,
970-920-5395. 

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