Wgn Will Be Available On Cox Cable

Cox Cable is adding more stations to its lineup, making the grand total 78.

WGN, the Chicago superstation, will arrive on Jan. 1, but you’ll have to pay extra for it. It will be part of the Select Service package, a seven-channel enhanced cable package that costs an extra $4.95 per month over what most people get, the Basic Expanded Service.

WGN has long been the most-requested station in Spokane, according to Dale Tapley of Cox Cable. Its appeal is mainly due to its sports lineup: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls.

Meanwhile, Bravo, an arts channel, moves from the Select Service to the Basic Expanded service on Dec. 15. And Telemundo, the Spanish-language station now on the Select Service, will be dropped altogether.

There simply wasn’t enough demand for it, according to Tapley.

Also, the Northwest Cable News channel makes its premiere on the Basic Expanded service on Dec. 27. This is a 24-hour Northwest news channel, operated by the Providence Journal Co. The company owns several TV stations in the Northwest, including KREM-2 in Spokane, KING-TV in Seattle, KGW-TV in Portland and KTVB-TV in Boise. Those stations will produce the news content.

More Cox Cable changes

To confuse you further, Cox Cable will soon carry three different HBOs: HBO-1, HBO-2 and HBO-3. All three carry the same movies, but the times are scrambled so you have more choices as to when to watch a certain movie. This is a concept called “multiplexing,” and it begins in Spokane on Dec. 18.

Regular HBO subscribers will automatically get HBO-1 and HBO2. HBO-3 will be an added bonus for people who buy more expensive cable packages.

Oh, I almost forgot. We’re also getting the Spice channel as of Jan. 1. This is an adult (i.e., sex) channel similar to the Playboy channel, but it shows only movies. It is pay-per-view.

All Cox channels will remain the same up through channel 55, but after all of the changes have kicked in, the new lineup will be:

56 - Northwest Cable News Channel.

57 - Outdoor Life.

58 - Bravo.

59 - ESPN2.

60 - Encore.

61 - Black Entertainment Television.

62 - Court TV.

63 - Cartoon Network.

64 - WGN.

65 - Turner Classic Movies.

66 - History.

67 - HBO-1.

68 - HBO-2.

69 - HBO-3.

70 - Cinemax.

71 - Showtime.

72 - The Movie Channel.

73 - CH-1 (pay-per-view).

74 - Action (pay-per-view).

75 - Hot Choice (pay-per-view).

76 - Spice (pay-per-view).

77 - Playboy (pay-per-view).

78 - Data.

Jazzed up

The University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, Feb. 21-24, features an amazing array of international jazz stars, as usual.

For instance, there’s singer Al Jarreau, drummer Elvin Jones, percussionist Tito Puente and harmonica player Toots Thielemans, to name a few.

Here’s a complete list:

Feb. 21, Pepsi International World Jazz Concert: Lionel Hampton, the Ray Brown Trio, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Herb Ellis, Oliver Jones, Toots Thielemans, Brian Bromberg, Kuni Mikami, David Friesen, Greg Abate, Diana Krall, Igor Butman and Shirley Stewart Farmer.

Feb. 22, Special guest concert: Hampton, Elvin Jones, Ellis, Bromberg, Thielemans, Bucky Pizzarelli, Joe Lovano, Ethel Ennis, the Gene Harris Quintet, Roy Hargrove, David Sanchez and Dee Daniels.

Feb. 23, Vocal Winners Concert: Kitty Margolis, followed by winning choirs and vocal groups from the competition.

Feb. 23, All-Star Concert: Hampton, Shirley Horn, Thielemans, Puente, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Ellis, Bromberg, Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi, Slide Hampton, Al Grey, Wallace Roney, Bill Watrous and Jane Jarvis.

Feb 24, Washington Water Power Instrumental Winners Concert: Roditi, with winning groups from the jazz competition.

Feb. 24, GTE Giants of Jazz Concert: Hampton and his New York Big Band, Jarreau, Elvin Jones, Hank Jones, Ellis and Bromberg.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 4, through G&B Select-a-Seat.

, DataTimes