Monroe County’s Information Technology department has converted MCTV Channel 76 on Comcast to digital broadcasting. This is one of the first steps in the planned transition to full HD digital.

With this conversion, MCTV on Comcast has much higher quality and more consistent video – and clearer audio, too.

The improvement in audio and video will continue as MCTV fine-tunes the conversion. The improvement also is in all parts of the broadcast, from the rebroadcast of existing content and public service announcements to live broadcasts. This includes the Board of County Commissioners’ February 15 regular meeting, which begins at 9 a.m.

MCTV always has broadcast digital on AT&T’s U-Verse Channel 99, which began operations March 2013.

The primary mission of MCTV, the County’s government channel, is to televise county meetings. They include the Board of County Commissioners regular monthly meetings, as well as budget and other special meetings by the Commission. MCTV also broadcasts live meetings of the Monroe County Planning Commission. During hurricanes and other local emergencies, MCTV is responsible for broadcast support of Monroe County’s Emergency Management.

MCTV, which broadcasts 24/7, also has plenty of other content. This includes the Saturday education block, which runs 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The shows: Waterways, Curiosity Quest, Wildlife Matters, Ocean Life series, and a new addition, Aqua Kids.

The Information Technology department also produces original content, including a feature of “Farmer” Jeanne Selander and the Stock Island Animal Farm and a Monroe County Library Artist Talk featuring historian Tom Hambright and David Harrison Wright.