Though I haven't yet seen any of the channels appear on my cable box, Time Warner is starting to pimp its newly-sealed partnership with the Big Ten Network on its website.  Initially, it didn't appear as though they would be providing anything but the main channel in standard and high-definition.

Now their website is saying that they will be offering digital cable subs "more Big Ten action" on channel 410 in Northeast Wisconsin.  Whether that channel will be one of the network's "overflow" channels, another special channel or some sort of pay-per-view offering is not yet known.  Other providers, including AT&T U-Verse, offer up to four alternate channels during football season so Big Ten fans can catch other conference games.

Looks like Charter can take its time installing that new Big Ten Network HD equipment.

According to the Big Ten Network's website, this week's season opening game between Wisconsin and Akron will not be available in HD.  The following game on September 6th will be available in high-def, however.

Sorry to burst your bubble, HD cable customers.

Cutting it a little close, aren't we?

The Capital Times in Madison reports today that Charter has signed a deal with Big Ten Network to carry its SD and HD channels throughout Wisconsin and other states.  However, the timing of the deal may not leave time to get the network up in time for Saturday's Wisconsin - Akron game at 11 AM.

Carrying the network necessitates Fox delivering specalized equipment to carriers, and delivery, installation and testing of the equipment at over a dozen Charter facilities in the state is a near-Herculean task.  Charter isn't expected to know until tomorrow or Friday whether Big Ten will be available in time.  They are also concentrating on adding the SD channel first and foremost, with the HD feed to follow.

BTN will be found on Charter's expanded basic lineup this season, like other cable companies.  Where it appears after that is not yet known.  Which channel it will appear on is also unknown.  Charter will not offer Big Ten's "overflow channels," which house other conference games occuring at the same time, for the foreseeable future.  All Badger games scheduled on Big Ten Network will be carried locally, though, so not having overflow channels will not preclude area fans from seeing Badger games.

When we know any additional information, including channel placement and launch date, we will bring it to you.

Yes... really.

Fresh on the heels of the outlandish pay-per-view proposal they made to UW Athletics over the weekend, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Don Walker was first to report tonight that Time Warner Cable has indeed reached a deal with Big Ten Network. 

The two parties issued a joint statement on bigtennetwork.com this evening: "Time Warner Cable and the Big Ten Network announced today that they have reached an agreement-in-principle on terms of carriage for the Big Ten Network and its high-definition and video-on-demand programming on Time Warner Cable's line-ups throughout the Big Ten territory, including Ohio and Wisconsin. The pending agreement will ensure that Time Warner Cable's customers across these Big Ten states will have access to this Saturday's Big Ten college football season openers and all future Big Ten Network programming on an expanded basic level of service."

Walker further reported on the deal Monday night.  As of Monday evening, Time Warner Cable Northeast Wisconsin has not issued any information on when and where the channel will be available.  Realistically, the local franchise will have to add the channel by mid-week to avoid any technology snags that may occur prior to Saturday's game.  This summer, Time Warner in Northeast Wisconsin has hit some snags rolling out new HD channels, as it has taken some customers a couple days to see new channels appear on the cable boxes after officially launching them.

Thanks once again to Steve for the original tip!

[UPDATE 3 - 8/25 11:14 PM -- WBAY has learned that Big Ten will appear on Time Warner channel 72, and the Journal-Sentinel confirmed it.  This is the channel that opened up May 14th when Time Warner vacated a former info channel.  No word yet on where the HD channel will go, but more details on the deal are expected Tuesday.]

[UPDATE 4 - 8/26 2:20 PM -- According to Don Walker at the Journal-Sentinel, the high-definition version of Big Ten will be on channel 713 for the Northeast Wisconsin division.  No word yet on when those channels go live, or if any of the BTN alternate channels will be available on Time Warner.]

Northeast Wisconsin TV viewers who haven't been able to get DISH Network service on their property because of a bad line-of-sight to the satellite may now be able to join the satellite service.

As of August 20th, Green Bay has been one of a small handful of U.S. markets to be included in a test rollout of DISH Network's new "eastern arc" service, according to Multichannel News.  The new service requires a new satellite dish (model 1000.4) and a new receiver.  The new service is transmitted entirely in the MPEG-4 format, which enables higher quality at less bandwidth.  All programming found on the traditional DISH Network "western arc" service will be simulcast on the eastern arc, except for some Latino programming.

For the time being, it appears that the new eastern arc service is limited to new customers in the twenty-one test markets, due to the need for new hardware.