* NCTA, Cox assisting New Orleans with rebuilding effort
By Traci Patterson
The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) will assist the New Orleans region in its long-term recovery from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina under the umbrella of the CableCares community service program, and with the assistance of the city of New Orleans, Cox New Orleans and local organizations helping in the rebuilding efforts.
Initiatives include rebuilding playgrounds and libraries, bringing schools back, the Sportsman Channel’s Hunt.Fish.Feed initiative, and having battle of the bands and bike tour fundraisers. The NCTA’s Cable Show ’08 will be held in New Orleans May 18-20. The Big Easy has hosted more NCTA conventions than any other city.
* DirecTV adds local HD programming in Texas, Michigan
By Traci Patterson
DirecTV is now offering local HD programming to customers in the Waco, Texas, and Flint, Mich., designated market areas. In Waco, KCEN/NBC and KWTX/CBS are now available in HD, and in Flint, WJRT/ABC, WSMH/FOX, WNEM/CBS and WEYI/NBC are now HD-ready. DirecTV’s rollout of local HD channels is part of the satellite operator’s plan to offer up to 100 national HD channels by year’s end.