It's fast approaching the middle of October and that means that HTC's 2009 Annual Membership Meeting is just around the corner.

Taking place Tuesday, October 20 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, this year's meeting will begin with registration at 5 p.m., entertainment kicking off at 5:15 p.m., and the Cooperative members-only business meeting at 7 p.m. All in all, we're looking forward to a great evening!

As part of the night's events, all registered members will have the opportunity to win some great door prizes. Prizes up for grabs include a flat screen television, an iPod Touch, HTC gift certificates, cash and a four-day/three-night cruise for two to the Bahamas. Also, two $2 bills will be given to every HTC member who registers prior to the beginning of the business meeting.

We're also looking forward to this year's entertainment, which will be provided by local celebrity Greg Rowles of WFXB's "Not The News." A former male vocalist of the year on TV's Star Search, Greg has become one of country music's most beloved performers. The Carolina Forest High School Show Choir will also be performing at this year's meeting.

The business portion of this year's meeting will include the election of three Board of Directors positions. These will include two seats for Conway District 1 and one seat for Green Sea District 3.

If you're a member of the Cooperative, you should have received your 2009 Annual Report in the mail in early September. The report details the current happenings at HTC, as well as a detailed look at the year's financials. It also includes your ticket to attend this year's Annual Meeting.

We're excited about this year's Annual Meeting and hope you can join us! For more information about the meeting or if you didn't receive your Annual Report, please call 365-2151.

Also, please remember that all Horry Telephone Cooperative members are encouraged to attend and participate. The business meeting begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.!

Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what's happening at HTC in the "talk back" section below.

Best, Tom

Are you a high school football fanatic? Can you sometimes not make it out on Friday night to watch your favorite team or school play? Well, now HTC has provided a solution to this dilemma for those who follow the Myrtle Beach Seahawks , Conway Tigers and Aynor Blue Jackets .

At HTC , we have more than 50 years of experience in providing the best, most reliable communications products available. These products include: cable television service; wireless cell phone service; high-speed Internet service; home security monitoring; and home phone service. Now you can add high school football broadcaster to the list!

Throughout the season, HTC will broadcast all four of the home football games of the Myrtle Beach Seahawks for the 2009 season at http://online.htcnetracer.net/ . Each home game will have a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m.

HTC will also be broadcasting the remaining four Conway Tigers home games this year, also at http://online.htcnetracer.net/ . Each home game will have a kickoff time of 7:30 p.m.

All of the games streamed live for both teams will also be housed online through the remainder of the 2009 season for repeat viewing.

In addition to Seahawks and Tigers coverage, HTC will be tape-delay airing home football games of the Aynor Blue Jackets on Sundays at 8 p.m. immediately following the previous Friday night's game on HTC Digital Cable channel 4. After airing on channel 4, the games will be available throughout the week on HTC's video-on-demand service.

We hope that you find this free-of-charge service very helpful during the 2009 gridiron season, especially if you can't make it out to the stadium on Friday night!

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom

Are you in need of a new, cutting-edge cell phone? Are you looking to add cable and drop your dish provider? What about a new home security system to keep criminals at bay?

If you're in the market for any of these services (and a few more) HTC is the perfect choice.

At HTC, we have more than 50 years of experience in providing the best, most reliable communications products available. These products include: cable television service; wireless cell phone service; Internet service; home security monitoring; and home phone service. And we've got our finger on the pulse of the needs of our customers.

We understand the communications needs of those in Horry and Georgetown counties because we work and live the areas we serve. Being a local provider with local customer service and local technicians, HTC is primed to handle all concerns, issues and installations of our family of products in a super-expedient manner.

In addition to being able to reach out to customers, HTC offers ten centrally located branch offices throughout Horry County to assist with communications needs. We invite you to stop by your local office and discover the complete line of communications products and services we have to offer.

In essence, our mission is to improve the quality of life in our communities. HTC is committed to providing the most reliable communications services possible, at the best possible value, and by working with others in the community we serve, helping to build a better society for all.

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom

The summer heat may still be sweltering outside, but very soon, the cool autumn breeze will be here and along with it will be college football.

We're excited to announce a new partnership with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to air SEC games during the 2009 NCAA Football season.

Beginning September 5 and carrying through championship weekend, a number of SEC games will be shown on HTC Digital Cable channel 4.

The first games scheduled are Western Carolina taking on Vanderbilt on September 5 at 7:30 p.m. On September 19, we will be airing Southeastern Louisiana versus < a href="http://www.olemiss.edu/"> Mississippi at 7:30 p.m.

We are currently working to finalize other dates and times for other exciting SEC football games for all of you college football fanatics out there. So, be sure to keep checking back here in the coming weeks for the entire rundown of the season's matchups. Also, please note that all games are subject to scheduling changes that may beyond our control.

In addition to this great addition to our fall SEC football line-up, don't forget that HTC also offers more college football action on ESPN Game Plan, the ESPN family of networks, VERSUS, the Big Ten Network and CBS College Sports Network all on HTC Digital Cable.

You can also check out great football programming online if you're a HTC Netracer subscriber. NetRacer is your headquarters for exclusive on-line content from ESPN360 and CBS College Sports XXL .

So, are you ready for some football?

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom

Here at HTC we're more than just a landline phone and cable television provider. As many of you already know, our wireless service, HTC Horizon, partners with AT&T Wireless to provide the best nationwide wireless voice and data coverage available.

Since 1996 HTC has been providing 100% digital wireless service, and a broad selection of wireless handsets, to Horry County and parts of Georgetown County via GSM (Global System for Mobile communications).

Through HTC Horizon, customers can choose from basic phone models that provide exceptional voice services or messaging phones which are optimized for mobile e-mail and text messaging. HTC Horizon even has the latest smartphones that can fit in your pocket or purse and almost take the place of a personal computer. All of HTC's messaging phones and smartphones take advantage of the 3G data network, which is built and maintained locally by HTC and nationwide by AT&T Wireless.

Regarding wireless handsets, HTC Horizon carries a plethora of makes and models. For customers seeking more mainstream communications, the Motorola Tundra, with "Push to Talk," is a ruggedized phone built to withstand rough treatment in daily use.

Currently in stock on the messaging phone side is the hot new Samsung Propel , (which is my cell of choice). In addition, we have the new LG Xenon and Pantech Matrix .

For those seeking the flexibility of a smartphone, HTC Horizon offers a number of options, including a complete line of RIM (Research in Motion) Blackberry products. Other options include the HTC Fuze, the LG Incite and several other handsets from Samsung.

With these 3G-capable devices, you can surf the Internet, download files and access email remotely at much greater speeds than ever before. Enjoy streaming video, music content and HBO Mobile (an AT&T and HTC Horizon exclusive) - all from your 3G wireless phone. To see these and other options, stop by any HTC location.

Moving forward, we are excited about the technological advances in wireless technology and hope you are too.

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom

Summer time is here and the sports line-up on HTC Digital Cable is more plentiful than ever! With everything from baseball to football to flowboarding, HTC is the place to be for the best sports programming.

This summer we've got a great line-up of baseball via the Major League Baseball channel and the Major League Baseball Extra Innings premium pay package. Right now, you can get the MLB Extra Innings Half Season Package for $139.00. But if you're just itching to catch the Braves or Cubs play, you can get your fix from SportsSouth, TBS and WGN America.

If college football is your game, then make sure you're set with HTC Digital Cable by August. Through ESPN GamePlan, you can get the maximum in college football via the only national pay-per-view cable TV package. ESPN GamePlan includes games from some of the nation's top conferences giving you, the college football fans, the games you want to see throughout the season. These include non-televised University of South Carolina and Clemson University games.

If you're a fan of all things Big 10, then HTC Digital Cable is for you.. Featuring more than 400 live events from one of the country's premier collegiate conferences, the Big Ten Network offers classic-to-current sports and televises more Olympic-style sporting events and women's sports than any other cable network. This fall Big 10 football may have as many as five games per week. Check your local listings or www.htcinc.net for details.

HTC is also home to the CBS College Sports Network (in regular and hi-def). CBS College Sports Network televises thousands of hours of original college sports programming, features, talk shows and documentaries, as well as extensive women's sports coverage. Its regular season and championship event coverage draws from every major collegiate athletic conference and division, in addition to nine NCAA championships. CBS College Sports Network televises 35 men's and women's college sports throughout the year.

We've also recently added the Alt Games' College Action Sports Championships from CBS College Sports. This sports smorgasbord will be available on demand now through September.

The Alt Games include snowboarding, wakeboarding, flowboarding, beach volleyball, freesking and competitive eating, plus a "Best Tricks, Crashes and Girls of the Alt Games: College Sports Championship" segment. To access the Alt Games On Demand from the HTC VOD Main Menu, choose the FREE Zone icon, then sports.

Versus (channel 164 and 764 in HD) offers plenty of wild riding with the PBR Tour, the IRL Indy Car racing series in Edmonton, Alberta and the Tour de France.

Don't forget that in addition to all the great sports on HTC Digital Cable, HTC NetRacer is your headquarters for exclusive on-line content from ESPN360 and CBS College Sports XXL. Major League Baseball, Summer X Games, MLS, World Football Challenge matches plus much more are all available on ESPN360!

We're excited about the summer and the sports we can provide to our customers and hope that you enjoy!

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom

Enough can't be said about the leaps and bounds that we as a society have experienced over the last 15 years. From the ease and accessibility of wireless telephone services to the explosion of the Internet to the growth of social media, the importance of integration and being connected is becoming paramount.

At HTC, we offer a great service that allows you to do this when you're building your new home. HTC's Home Integration prepares today's homes for tomorrow's technologies through a simple three-step turnkey process.

Step one is the design phase. In this phase, HTC Home Integration coordinators work with you, the future homeowner, and your builders to design what you need and want in the latest in residential technologies for now and for future use.

The second step is the install phase. During this phase, HTC-certified installers work with builders during the rough-in and trim-out phase of new home construction to coordinate on-time installation of each Home Integration product.

Phase three is the "turn-on" of your service. It is now when all of the planning and installing come to fruition as HTC Home Integration coordinators make the transition into a new home easy by having the new services turned on and fully functional before you move into your new home.

Now that you know the process, I bet you're asking what's included in home integration from HTC? Well, the answer is a lot. The service list includes:

• Telephone • High Speed Internet • Home Networking • Structured Wiring • Digital Cable and DVR • Surround Sound • Whole House Audio • Home Theatre • Security • Central Vacuum • Home Intercom • HTC Bluewave Fiber-To-The-Home

If you're interested about learning more about customizing your new home, contact an HTC Home Integration Coordinator at 843-369-7233 or visit "http://www.htcinc.net/integration.cfm" for more information.

And remember, here at HTC we're working to wire today's homes to take advantage of the full potential of tomorrow's digital world. Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what's happening at HTC in the "Talk Back" section below.

Best, Tom

HTC is dedicated to supplying the best possible goods and services to our customers, which is reflected in our more than 50 years of experience in providing reliable communications products such as: cable television service; wireless cell phone service; Internet service; home security monitoring; and home phone service. And in case you haven't heard, the TV (cable included) industry is making a change for the better on June 12, 2009. On this date, all television stations will begin broadcasting only in digital format, and analog TV users may have some adjustments to make. This switch is required and affects all full powered television broadcasting stations that use an over-the-air signal including local stations such as WPDE, WBTW and WMBF. National channels such as ESPN, HGTV and others are not affected by this switch as they use satellite technology to deliver their signals.

Originally set to take place back in February, the "big switch" was delayed when the U.S. House of Representatives voted on February 4 to delay the switch to digital from the scheduled February 17 date to June 12. The Senate had already approved the bill, thus making way for President Obama to sign into action. The delay proposal was made amid concerns that millions of Americans were not ready for the Big Switch, thus allowing Americans more time to purchase digital converter boxes.

With just over one week until the "big switch," there is no need to panic, especially if you're already an HTC customer. Being an HTC customer, you're prepared for the switch and have nothing to worry about due to having HTC Digital Cable in your home, regardless of whether you have an older analog set or a new digital television.

However, if you're reading this and are not an HTC Digital Cable subscriber and are watching television via over-the-air signal with an antenna, you will be affected. To make sure you are prepared, you have a few options. The easiest and most convenient option would be to subscribe to HTC Digital Cable so that we can take care of all the necessary preparation for you. If subscribing to cable is not a viable option, you can also continue to receive your signal with an over-the-air antenna, but you might have to make a few adjustments.

Digital TV (DTV) is a newer form of technology for receiving TV broadcasts. It offers better picture and sound, as well as interactive features like online program guides. Broadcasters are already making the transition, sending TV in both analog and digital formats and some are only broadcasting in digital. TV manufacturers have also prepared for this, meaning you may already have a digital TV and not even know it.

There are certain terms to look for in your TV manual when figuring out if it is digital, such as:

• ATSC • Digital Tuner • Digital Receiver • DTV • HDTV

If your TV is labeled "digital ready," this doesn't mean you are safe. It means you will need to buy a digital-to-analog converter box, which costs anywhere from $50 to $75. There's a $40 coupon here to help offset this cost from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, but please be mindful that there may not be enough money to provide enough coupons for everyone. If you plan to buy a converter, get yours ASAP from your favorite electronics retailer.

Here at HTC, we're looking forward to the "big switch." Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what's happening at HTC in the "Talk Back" section below.

Best,

Tom

Here at HTC we're busy getting Fit. FitTV, that is!

As part of HTC's commitment to bringing you the best cable television has to offer, we've added FitTV to the HTC Digital Cable line-up.

Now available on Channel 151, FitTV is a part of HTC's Digital Passport package. A member of the Discovery family of channels, FitTV inspires you to achieve fitness and well-being on your terms. The programs on FitTV are designed to motivate viewers to reduce stress, create healthier meals and build a more active lifestyle. Regardless of where any of us are on our fitness journey, FitTV keeps us moving with shows like All Star Workouts, Art of the Athlete, Namaste Yoga, Total Body Sculpt with Gilad and more. We're excited about adding FitTV to our channel line-up and hope that you enjoy!

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom

As you may have read in my post a few weeks ago, HTC was in the throes of remodeling our 38th Avenue location in Myrtle Beach. As of today, the remodeling is now complete and this HTC location is again fully operational.

Now that this project is complete, we have downsized to half of the approximately 7,000 square feet that made up the location. However, there is no need to worry. Just because we've trimmed the size of this location doesn't mean we're cutting back on continuing to provide you the best in communications products and services.

As in the past, the 38th Avenue location will continue to serve as a retail office with staff on hand to help with all of your cable television, landline phone, home security and mobile phone needs. In addition, HTC has also installed new demonstration areas for High Definition cable TV and high-speed internet services.

Remember that you can stop by Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to pay your bill, talk to a CSR or add another great HTC communications service.

We're happy with the end result of this project and hope you will be too.

Until next time, feel free to let me know your thoughts on what's happening at HTC.

Best, Tom