The Fox affiliate in Maine, WPFO-Fox 23, came into existence after the FCC had assigned UHF channels to broadcasters for the sole purpose of broadcasting digital TV signals while still using their existing TV channel for analog.
So, while Fox 23 does provide digital signals via fiber optic cable to some Time Warner customers and DirectTV customers in Maine, they can not "broadcast" a digital signal until they do a flash cut over from analog to digital on 2/17/09.
So this is what we, in Maine, have all been dealing with. I have written to my cable company, Metrocast, which services Rochester, NH, and the Sanford, ME area. I've asked why they can't provide us with Fox 25 out of Boston in digital/HD since we can't get Fox 23 in digital. I was told that due to FCC rules and cable/TV station agreements it was not possible. I was told I would just have to wait until Fox 23 went digital over the air and then wait even further for Metrocast to carry that digital TV station in their lineup. The possibilities were remote at best.
All of a sudden, last Monday, September 29, Fox 25 in digital/HD magically appeared in my digital channel lineup; no announcement, no nothing from my cable company, it just showed up. I've attempted to call Metrocast several times but have never been able to last as long as they have wanted to keep me on hold. I want to ask them "What's the deal" with this new Fox channel.
In the end, it doesn't really matter, I guess. I just hope that it is not there as some sort of mistake and will end up being removed for some reason. I don't watch Fox that much, but it will be nice to be able to record shows on my DVR in HD as opposed to the analog channel provided to us known as Fox 23.
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