Channel surfing Brookhaven residents may notice a familiar channel number back in place.
It's a channel that pitted town officials who fought a cable company that tried to change a town's public access channel.
Town Supervisor Dan Panico announced that Altice USA Cable has restored Brookhaven’s public access programming to Channel 18, reversing a recent change that had pushed it to a less-visible slot.
The move comes after weeks of complaints from frustrated television viewers and town officials following Altice’s decision earlier this year to relocate Brookhaven’s government channel to Channel 1310.
The company, formerly known as Cablevision, said the switch was part of a broader reassignment of town access channels across Suffolk County. In an email response to the town, Altice maintained that “these new channel assignments will allow for easier customer navigation and a better user experience.”
Town leaders disagreed, arguing that the new placement buried vital public programming. Brookhaven joined other Suffolk municipalities in formally protesting the reassignment, filing an official complaint with the New York State Public Service Commission. The argument was made that viewers, especially the elderly, were used to finding Channel 18 and might have a tough time finding Channel 1310.
“We thank Altice USA for reconsidering their channel reassignment and commend them for placing town public access back in an easily accessible viewer platform,” Panico said in a statement.
Brookhaven’s public access channel carries live broadcasts and recordings of Town Board and Zoning Board meetings, as well as programs such as “Supervisor Panico On The Air” and “Brookhaven Today.” Town officials say the return to Channel 18 ensures that residents can once again easily find local government coverage without navigating higher, lesser-known channel numbers.
Effective immediately, Altice subscribers in Brookhaven can tune to Channel 18 to follow town business and community updates.