Cable

The Rancho Murieta Association announced a change in its cable TV lineup Friday with the Hallmark Channel moving from Channel 96 to Channel 17, according to General Manager David Stiffler. The change comes as the RMA prepares to launch new programming that will add a dozen high-definition channels to the basic TV service members receive as part of their dues and create a new tier of digital and high-definition programming for subscribers.

See the 12-page RMA legal opinion (900KB PDF)

A newly acquired legal opinion says the Rancho Murieta Association cannot on its own stop using member dues to support the cable system, the RMA announced Thursday morning. The opinion is in response to an effort to gather proxy votes to make the RMA stop assessing unwilling members for cable services.  Read more »

The Rancho Murieta Association Communications Committee received an upbeat report about recently completed cable system improvements and reviewed plans for a new channel line-up Wednesday.  Read more »

Members of the group that wants to make participation in the Rancho Murieta Association cable system voluntary set up shop to gather signatures at the Plaza Saturday.  Read more »

A special meeting of the Rancho Murieta Association Communications Committee was held Tuesday to establish a committee to quickly study alternatives to having the RMA run the cable system. Meanwhile, plans to launch new programming on the upgraded cable system, completed recently at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, are still on hold.  Read more »

[Updated April 10] The Rancho Murieta Association reported Wednesday that a cable TV problem affecting eight channels has been fixed, though neighbors disagreed in posts here at midweek. By week's end, the problems seemed resolved.  RMA General Manager David Stiffler said Tuesday that there were problems with channels 4, 18, 31, 32, 33, 40, HBO and Cinemax because of a faulty wire in one of the satellite dishes that bring in programming.

[Edited April 4] In less than a month, the Rancho Murieta Association Communications Committee has gone from anticipating the relaunch of an improved cable system to contemplating shutting the system down at year's end if a proposed bylaws amendment passes. Committee members pushed back Wednesday, saying the community needs to hear the rest of the story -- that shutting down cable also means shutting down the RMA's broadband Internet service, which is used by almost a quarter of the community.  Read more »

The community's Freedom of Choice Committee is stepping up its fight to make participation in the Rancho Murieta Association's cable system voluntary. At the same time, a straw vote of the RMA board showed it's split on the issue.  Read more »

After numerous delays, the Rancho Murieta Association expects to launch new digital and high-definition TV programming over its revamped cable system March 17, the Communications Committee said Wednesday.  At the same time, the committee will begin work on "Plan B" -- an alternative to the new system.  Read more »

Rancho Murieta Association cable crews will be working overnight in the Lago, Carreta and Brisa areas, starting at about 2 a.m. and wrapping up by 7 a.m. Friday, according to General Manager David Stiffler.