MORGAN -- Morgan County residents relying on free television may see better service this summer when equipment worth $71,000 is installed.
New equipment includes four new translators, one set of antennas and one combiner channel for 28, 30 and 32. The equipment will help in the analog-to-digital television conversion, replacing aging equipment originally put in place in 1982.
"The new equipment will provide residents with a consistently clearer, brighter picture, with a high-quality audio and no static or interference that you typically receive with the analog translators," Morgan County Councilwoman Ronda Kippen said in an email.
"The digital systems can also transmit more data using the same bandwidth that they were using to broadcast analog television. This means they can supply more features for the residents."
Exact results of the new equipment are yet to be seen, Kippen said, because of the mountainous character of the county. However, hopes are that reception will reach further throughout the county than the old analog system did.
The county will have the equipment and installation paid for through a unique flow-through grant, courtesy of the federal government.
No funds for the equipment or installation will come from the county general fund.
Many rural counties in Utah have had a hard time paying for the equipment and installation of the new digital TV equipment.
Kippen said Morgan is the sixth county in the state to take advantage of the federal National Telecommunications and Information Administration Grant.
"It will be a nice upgrade for our TV tower," Kippen said. "It is pretty exciting."
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