The area’s two television cable companies are moving closer toward completion of their planned channel expansion plan.

Henry E. Lockard, manager of Williamsport Cable said, work on converting the present system to 9 channels plus 3 FM music stations should be completed within the next six weeks.

William Heinbach, manager of Lycoming Television at South Williamsport, said his firm has completed about 80 percent of a similarly proposed change and hopes to have all 9 channels and more than 20 FM music stations for all customers by the first week of June.

Williamsport Cable has completed the switch over in Montoursville and downtown Williamsport, it reported, and has begun work in the rest of the city. Completion is expected shortly for Newberry, Garden View, South Williamsport and DuBoistown.

Mr. Lockard said all main trunk lines are completed and secondary lines are now in the process of being changed for the remaining subscribers. He said cable rates will not be raised in the $750,000 project.

Mr. Heinbach said the Faxon-Kenmar section is the most completed area in the work being done by Lycoming TV. The Montoursville and Williamsport areas are about finished, and work is now being done in Newberry.

Both men said they hope to offer more than the proposed 9 channels in the future and to make additional music available to subscribers.

Lycoming, spending $100,000 in the expansion program, also plans no rate increase, said Mr. Heinbach.
Each firm indicated that the area would have one of the largest selections of television and music in the nation once their respective expansion projects are completed.

Compiled by Lou Hunsinger Jr.