Dartmouth students living in on-campus housing will soon be finally able to watch 60 television channels on the campus cable system.
Currently, students in all residence hall have access to 25 different channels, however, with a switch to a new "headend" or control system for campus cable, with greater capacity, that number will more than double.
According to Director of Instructional Services Mike Beehan, who is overseeing cable installation, the switch to the new headend will happen in about three weeks.
The move to the new control, located in Berry Library, was originally planned for the beginning of Fall term, Beehan said.
"However, there were so many other projects related to the opening of school and cable, that this project was delayed," he said.
Students can access a cable television website with updates on cable installation and an updated channel guide, he said.
Channels on campus cable are provided by both Adelphia and six college owned satellite dishes located north of the Dartmouth Medical School.
The satellite dishes allow the College to provide non-local, international and foreign language channels, Beehan said.
"I think it's important that people have access to information on their part of the country or world," Beehan said.
"We are very excited about the improvements to cable service that have taken place recently," ORL Fiscal Officer Emily Farnham said.
Before last year, students living in residence halls had access to cable only in dorm lounges. Since then, students have seen cable phased in -- first with only about a dozen channels and beginning this summer, the current interim package of stations.
For legal reasons, college-owned residences located on the edge of campus or off the main campus, including Foley House and the French House, have cable provided by Adelphia Cable Communications, a local company, Farnham said.
Adelphia service will be provided free of charge to residents of these houses, she said.
Students living in those residences will have access to slightly different set of channels, as they will not receive the satellite channels, Beehan said.
