By By Kirby Reed

Upon returning to the residence halls for the fall semester, students not only had new classes to look forward to, but new television channels as well.

Telecommunications, the department responsible for the telephone, voice-mail and cable services at the University, negotiated a new contract this year to supply students with a better and larger programming package.

Students with cable-ready television can now enjoy more viewing choices, such as six HBO channels and numerous sports networks.

Although slightly behind schedule, students will be able to access high-definition channels by the end of the month.

The high-definition channels will be made possible by nearly doubling the bandwidth of the former infrastructure, Helen Latimer, manager of Telecommunications, said.

This means a better viewing experience for the student because channels featuring high-definition provide a sharper picture and better sound quality.

The new channels, 100 through 107, will include ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, UPN, Univision and the WB.

Latimer, who is responsible for the new TV system, said the switch from Cablevision to DIRECTV will provide students with a superior programming package without any additional costs.

Overall, the consensus from many students is positive, though some have mixed feelings about the switch.

“I don’t like that we don’t have News 12 Long Island,” said Jennifer Zambrano, a junior accounting major. “It’s better, but . . . it’s taking so long.”