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Public Affairs

Baumholder Information Channel (BIC)

Community can stay 'in tune'

to what's happening

 

By Ignacio “Iggy” Rubalcava

U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder Public Affairs Office

 

A channel featuring local Baumholder information is available on cable to residents in Smith Barracks and Wetzel Housing.
     The channel has been fittingly baptized as the Baumholder Information Channel, or BIC for short.
The U.S. Army Garrison Baumholder has contracted with TKS, the cable company servicing the military community, to provide this service to Baumholder residents. The service is free to all residents who have cable service in their residence, which includes practically all Baumholder residents.
     “As long as you have cable, you will be able to receive the new Command Information Channel,” said Madeleine Dwoiakowski, USAG Baumholder public affairs officer. Public affairs operates the channel directly from the USAG Baumholder headquarters. “Every building that has cable service, regardless if the residents have paid service or are just receiving the free cable package, they will be able to receive the new information channel,” she said.
     Some customers will automatically receive the channel on their television while others will need to conduct a “search” on their televisions in order to receive the channel. Those who can tune their television to a specific frequency can find the channel at 67.250. The program is also viewable on channel A04.
     The new channel also features a “ticker tape” along the bottom of the screen where emergency information can be displayed. “With winter weather approaching, this is an excellent means of getting the word out to community residents whenever we have inclement weather conditions and the commander decides to delay school or work hours,” said Dwoiakowski. Updates to the channel are almost instantaneous so the community will receive critical information as quickly as it can be typed into the channel.
     The channel is much more sophisticated than the old Commander’s Access Channel that was available to residents in Baumholder and featured a very simple text format and AFN music in the background.
     “That was a very problematic and labor intense process,” said Dwoiakowski. The new channel is Power Point based and almost anything that can be created in Power Point can be included in the channel.
“The channel also features background music as well as all the ‘bells and whistles’ that can be created with Power Point,” said Dwoiakowski.
     Practically any information that is currently disseminated via flyers or leaflets can be placed in the channel and will be instantly available to the entire community. “This is an excellent means for organizations like family readiness groups and service agencies to put out their information to the community in a timely manner,” said Dwoiakowski.
     Public Affairs has established procedures and policies for the new Command Information Channel. The only limitation to the channel is that if customers do not have access to a computer with Power Point capability, they will have to find a means of putting their information in the proper format for submission to Public Affairs.
     Agencies who wish to utilize this free service may call public affairs for input details and information at mil 485-6191 or civ (06783) 6-6191.