Who needs cable?  Digital TV has made it possible for every household to receive more channels over-the-air than ever before.  Thirty years ago, most people only expected to get the three major networks.  Then,  FOX joined the mix and PBS was usually available.  Within the last ten years or so, other networks popped up including the short-lived UPN which was quickly absorbed by the CW and MYTV.

Today, digital TV has more than doubled the channels that were available only two years ago.  Even the often underestimated PBS now provides three full-time channels meaning that you'll never miss the latest episode of Antiques Roadshow!  As for the network affiliates, many of them offer alternate programming on their subchannels.  At least one or two channels in every market offer the latest weather news.  Locally, THIS TV is offered by WXII in Winston-Salem and by WRAL in Raleigh.

But the channel I've been most pleasantly surprised by is RTV which stands for Retro TeleVision.  They mostly show old shows from the '60s, '70s, and '80s.  If you long for the days when David Hasselhoff was actually cool, then you can watch Knight Rider.  Along that same train of thought, you can catch Mr. T in episodes of The A-Team.  Or, before there was Fat Albert or The Cosby Show, there was Bill Cosby in I Spy.  And did anyone ever watch Air Wolf?  I didn't, but the music is vaguely familiar.  Nobody will claim that these shows are Must See TV, but it's a nice change of pace from the deluge of reality shows and CSI-ish look alikes.  RTV is available out of Greenville and Columbia in SC, out of Durham in NC, and out of Bristol in TN or VA (one of those rare cities that spans two states).

I haven't heard of any plans to bring RTV to the triad, but I think it could happen some time next year.  Maybe WFMY would pick them up -- they really need the extra advertising dollars.  They're the only station I've found which has a local news broadcast, but no Sports department.  And to think that they're the second oldest station in NC!

And finally, I'll close my rambling with the news that I briefly received two stations out of Atlanta last week.  That's 245 miles away, and it was coming in perfectly clear!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress.