Northern Pa. cable system struggles with costs

In the past, the broadcast signals were carried for free. This year, Cox and WTAJ demanded payment.

WTAJ at one point asked for $1.10 for each of Brockway’s subscribers and ran a “crawl” on its local broadcasts warning Brockway cable TV viewers that they were in danger of losing the Altoona CBS affiliate.

A lower fee has been negotiated.

Board members of the Brockway cable system say they may start dropping some broadcast stations if fees keep escalating.

Local TV stations in Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Altoona that were once carried for free by a cable TV system in tiny Brockway Borough are now demanding payments from subscribers.

As a result, subscribers to non-profit Brockway TV Inc. will see their rates increase at least $3 per month.

According to the Dubois Courier-Express, Brockway TV has reached agreements with Cox Broadcasting — owners of Pittsburgh’s WPXI-TV (11) and Johnstown’s WJAC-TV (6) — and Altoona’s WTAJ-TV (10) to carry those stations for the next three years.

In addition, Brockway will add WPXI sister station PCNC for its subscribers in the Jefferson County borough of 2,100 people.