No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveWhere Do the U.S. Network Channels go Each Month?

Where Do the U.S. Network Channels go Each Month?

I have a question regarding AMNET cable service. It appears that at the start of each month, ABC, CBS and NBC, the three major U.S. broadcast networks (channels 69, 70 and 71 in the San José metro area; varies by location around the country), go off the air. Outages began on Sept. 2 and continued through Sept. 3. I have been unable to get a response from AMNET, and was wondering if you can.

David Banks

Curridabat

The situation you describe does happen occasionally – we have noticed it too – but not every month, according to Jorge Córdoba, AMNET’s chief of customer service.

The satellite by which these three channels (the U.S. network affiliates from Denver, Colorado) are beamed to Costa Rica periodically changes the coding of its signal, and rarely with advance notice, Córdoba explained. When this happens, AMNET must reprogram its system to be able to match and send out the satellite signal it receives.

If this occurs on a weekday, when AMNET offices are fully staffed, it’s no problem to notice the situation and make the adjustments quickly. Córdoba speculated that since September began on a weekend, when fewer people were in the office to monitor the situation, it didn’t get corrected until Monday, Sept. 3.

We’ll add our own bit of speculation too: these are three channels likely little watched in the typical Spanish-speaking Costa Rican household. When they disappear from the screen, the number of people who notice is far smaller than, say, if local Channel 7 would go off the air. Report the situation, Córdoba said, no matter what the day of the week. AMNET’s technical support number is 210-2920.

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Surf Film Festival Honors ‘Pura Vida Bodysurfing’ with Top Audience Award

Pura Vida Bodysurfing is an award-winning short film that strips surfing back to its essence—riding waves without a surfboard. Filmed across Costa Rica’s legendary...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica