NEW YORK -- RCN Corporation, a provider of all digital television, high capacity data, and voice services to residential, business customers and service providers, announced today that it has launched Antenna Satellite, the world?s premier 24-hour Greek-language television station, providing access to the live Greek programming.

Antenna Satellite features the content of Antenna TV, which is the leading Greek television broadcast network. The channel is a live, 24-hour feed directly from Greece with live news, top rated shows and series, Greek movies, game-shows, music programs and much more. Special attention has been given to sports as Antenna has secured exclusive rights for Greek Soccer Championship games, the Soccer Cup and the Greek Basketball Championship.

Antenna Satellite will air on channel 521 in all of RCN's service areas that have been converted to the company's all-digital network, including the areas of Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Washington, D.C. Metro, Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY. Ultimately, all RCN subscribers will be part of the company's all-digital network, and will cost $14.95/month.

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Suffolk University students to enjoy RCN's reliable All-Digital Cable TV service in college dormitory rooms and get an added level of security

RCN, a leading provider of all-digital television, high capacity data, and voice services to voice services to residential, business customers and service providers, announced today the signing of a multi-year contract with Suffolk University in Boston to deliver digital cable television service to over 600 student dormitory rooms beginning late August

The system will also give the university the power of an Emergency Alert System to notify students of emergencies and other threats via their television screens.

"It was clear from the beginning that RCN understood what was most important to the Suffolk University -- signal quality, service, reliability and delivering the high quality customer care," said George T. Comeau, Managing Associate Director of University Media Services. "RCN brought a dedicated team of resources and professionals that installed a new infrastructure from the ground up. Our new system will allow us to grow our offerings to our students while providing a quality entertainment package."

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Washington Business Journal - by Tierney Plumb Staff Reporter

RCN Corp. will begin switching its D.C.-area network to all digital cable TV programming next month, enabling the company to reclaim existing analog channels and up the number of channels offered.

This article explains what HD compression is and why it is done.

PETER PUTMAN, CTS

Can broadcasters now transmit 1080p HD content to your home? How about Dish Network, DirecTV, and cable companies? If so, how would picture quality compare to that of Blu-ray?

On August 25, Dish Network announced it would begin transmitting high definition TV programming using the MPEG4 Advanced Video Codec (AVC) in 21 markets. By itself, that’s not much of a news story.

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By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 9/15/2008 9:02:00 AM

RCN will begin switching its New York City video service to all-digital starting next month, officials said Monday.

RCN executives said the change, which the company has already enacted in Chicago and Boston, will enable it to reclaim existing analog channels, improve picture quality, make the network easier to maintain, and dramatically increase the number of standard and high-definition channels it can offer to subscribers, to more than 75 in HDTV.

The upgrade will intensify the consumer battle in the Big Apple, where FiOS TV, which received approval in July to begin marketing video services in New York City, is engaged with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems Corp.

“At launch, we are able to increase our HD channels to more than 75 channels and are positioned to make good on the promise of offering approximately 100 HD channels or more in the future," RCN CEO and president Peter Aquino said in a statement.

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RCN a provider of digital television, data, and voice services to residential, business and commercial/carrier customers, announced that it will begin switching its Delaware County, Pennsylvania network to all digital Cable TV programming, starting next month. This move enables RCN to reclaim existing analog channels, improve the picture quality, make the network easier to maintain, and dramatically increase the number of standard and High Definition (HD) channels it can offer to subscribers.

“By going all-digital, RCN will be able to increase its HD channels to more than 75 channels at launch -- with many more on the way. This total currently exceeds what our cable competitors offer, making us leaders in delivering HD and customized cable packages in an all digital world,” said RCN CEO and President Peter Aquino. “Our Digital Freedom initiative frees up bandwidth so we can provide our Delaware County customers with an explosion of entertainment choices and have more expanded Basic Digital TV channels than ever before.”

See more here: »www.marketwatch.com/news/story/r···ist=hppr - or here »biz.yahoo.com/bw/080910/20080910···tml?.v=1

Keith Groller - September 9, 2008

I wouldn't call it an uproar, but some e-mails were sent and angry phone calls made complaining about the Jets-Dolphins game not being available to Lehigh Valley cable subscribers on Sunday.

Jets fans didn't make a peep last year when they were struggling through a 4-12 season, but obviously that little addition they got from Green Bay has upgraded their level of excitement.

The problem is that CBS has the rights to the AFC, including when an AFC team visits an NFC team.

Service Electric and RCN offer two ABC channels, two NBC affiliates and two Fox network options, but only one CBS choice -- KYW3 out of Philadelphia.


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HERNDON, Va., Aug 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE)

RCN a leading provider of digital television, data, and voice services to residential and small - medium business customers, announced today the signing of a multi-year contract with Educational Housing Services, Inc. ("EHS") to deliver Digital Cable TV, Phone and Internet service to its student residence rooms at 1760 Third Avenue in Manhattan, New York, beginning mid August.

By Ken Belson

For those who love to hate the cable company, here’s a surprise: About 15,000 RCN customers in New York City who pay for a basic cable package will receive a free upgrade to a digital cable package, with a dozen or so extra channels, starting on Oct. 1.

HERNDON, Va., Aug 08, 2008

RCN announced today that it is a sponsor of Summer Streets 2008, which takes place for three consecutive Saturdays in August (August 9, 16, & 23) from 7:00 am - 1:00 pm.

RCN will be sponsoring several rest tents (at 16 Park Ave.

By Jay Fitzgerald

The confusion has begun.

The Massachusetts state’s Department of Telecommunications and Cable is starting to receive complaints from customers as cable companies move to convert subscribers from analog cable service to all-digital technology.

Next February, the federal government has ordered that all television sets be switched over to digital and away from analog signals, ending an era of over-the-air broadcasts of television content via rabbit-ear antennas

Read more @ The Boston Herald

RCN Corp. CEO Peter Aquino announced plans to use Docsis 3.0 technology to pump up the company's broadband service to 50 Mbps or more.

Multichannel News, 7/23/2008 7:41:00 AM
Ion Media Networks and RCN Corp. have reached an agreement whereby the distributor will carry qubo in its Boston service area.

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RCN Corporation (NASDAQ: RCNI), a leading provider of digital television, data, and voice services to residential, business and carrier customers, today announced that Charles E. Levine, 55, has been appointed to its board of directors, increasing the number of members of RCN’s Board from six to seven.

By Calvin Azuri - TMCnet Contributing Editor

RCN (News - Alert) Corporation switched over to offering only digital cable TV programming on July 4, as part of its “Analog Crush” initiative. All former analog channels were switched over to digital, expanding the total number of digital channels available to subscribers.

Bob Wallace -07/08/2008

Looking to keep pace in the race for more high-definition (HD) programming IPTV innovator SureWest Communications Tuesday announced plans to add 18 new channels in its Kansas City area. This comes just days after cableco RCN Corp.

RCN, a fiber-optic television provider, announced it would be adding 10 new high-definition (HD) channels in the New York City area. The 10 new HD channels include Discovery Channel HD, Animal Planet HD, The Learning Channel HD, HGTV HD, The Science Channel HD, Lifetime Movie Networks HD, Food Network HD, Travel Channel HD, VERSUS/Golf HD and NFL Networks HD.

“The addition of these new high definition channels is part of our ongoing commitment to connect our customers to something more,” said RCN VP & General Manager Tony Ontiveros.

In New York City, RCN serves parts of Manhattan and the Queens communities of Astoria, Corona, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Jackson Heights, Kew Gardens, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, Sunnyside, and Woodside, as well as parts of downtown Brooklyn and Brighton Beach.

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Washington Business Journal - by Tierney Plumb Staff Reporter

RCN Metro Optical Networks, a fiber optic-based network provider, expanded its capabilities to the heart of Chicago to facilitate connectivity between business customers.

"It offers high-capacity transport services to them, not only in the Chicago market, but connectivity back to other parts of the market, including D.C. and lesser known locations like Ashburn and Baltimore," said Maura Mahoney, senior director of marketing for RCN Metro.

The division of Herndon-based RCN Corp. completed the build of a fiber ring in downtown Chicago to light 80 buildings, many in the financial services industry and larger carrier hotels, to augment the existing fiber network it has in the area

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As we have seen RCN customers ire raise at the prospect of droping analog, the national spotlight is begining to show how the Cable industry is changing, and the ire that may come with it.

Cable operators have several reasons to consider an all-digital system the promised land, aside from making room for HD.