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WPBS to stay on air in Ottawa – Metro US

WPBS to stay on air in Ottawa

Rogers Cable has announced it will continue to carry the PBS signal from Watertown, N.Y., after having worked out solution to carry it through a fibre connection.

Earlier this month, Rogers announced it was dropping WPBS, which it had broadcast in Ottawa since 1971, and switching to the American public broadcaster’s Detroit affiliate, which they said would offer better signal quality and reliability.

College Councillor Rick Chiarelli, after numerous complaints, helped organize opposition to the proposed change, and describes WPBS as “the glue that cements the relationship between Ottawa and northern New York.”

“People in Ottawa view this station as their own, as one of the three stations they helped build,” he said.

Rogers’ vice-president of video services, David Purdy, said that they did receive complaints, but downplayed their influence on the decision.