Starting on Oct. 3, AT&T Broadband will change its television programming.

AT&T will change the channel locations of some of its existing stations, and add new channels to its basic cable service.

Some of the old channels making the leap include Comedy Central, which is moving from 48 to 47; MTV, which is moving from 46 to 60; and ESPN, which is moving from 25 to 51. Subscribers should have received letters one month in advance outlining these changes.

Pat Keenen, vice president of communications at AT&T Broadband, explained the reasoning behind the changing of channel locations.

“The market is really large,” she said. “It extends from Wisconsin to Indiana and northern Illinois. This covers 80 markets.”

She added that with the new channels, all the markets would be in compliance.

AT&T also will add some new channels, including the Food Network and Oxygen, both of which will be available on the standard cable service.

TBS and ESPN2, which were only available on an individual basis, will become a part of the standard cable service as well.

Those who do not have standard cable, but subscribe to either of those channels, no longer will receive TBS and ESPN2 after Oct. 3. Their bills will be adjusted accordingly.

Keenen said these new additions also will mean new rates for expanded basic and standard cable.

There also will be new additions to the digital cable service. More than 100 new channels will be added. Among these will be 50 new movie services.

Despite these new additions, some students object to the changes.

“They should stay with the system they have,” said Kevin Annen, a deaf education major. “They shouldn’t change it. They should give a preview to see what the channels are like.”

Keenen explained why AT&T does not allow a preview period.

“There have been instances to do something like that,” Keenen said. “This has been compiled because of research done over a long period of time.”

She added that they often do not offer previews.

Some students welcome the changes, however.

“We’ve had problems with them, but if they add new channels, then that’s OK,” said Lisa Nicodem, a management major. Most of the problems Nicodem had involved the Internet connection through AT&T and not the cable television service itself.