SANFORD — The cable television company that serves Sanford and some rural York County communities said it has no plans to replace a French language channel that was dropped when their service provider stopped supplying a channel out of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

In correspondence with resident Gilles Auger, who along with his wife Claire circulated a petition to restore French language programming, Metrocast customer services supervisor Tony Graves said an alternative French channel is not being sought.

“I have spoken with several departments and they all concede we are not actively seeking or planning to offer another French channel anytime in the near future,” Graves wrote, in part. “I know you really valued that channel and what it’s like to have channels one favors disappear form their line-up, but unfortunately your favorite channel is gone and will remain that way.”

CKSH was the sole French language television channel offered by Metrocast and had been part of its line-up in Sanford and Springvale, some rural York County communities and in several New Hampshire towns. It was dropped Aug. 1 when its provider, Yankee Microwave of Harrison said it could no longer afford to continue.

CKSH is one of a number of television channels under the helm of Radio-Canada, the French language arm of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Auger said he he’s “not trying to stir too much up,” but he has written to ask Graves how other cable television companies are able to supply French language channels to Biddeford and Lewiston, also centers where there is a large population of residents of French descent.

Contract negotiations between the town and Metrocast are about to commence. The cable television company’s current contract expires in 2012.

Auger said he will continue to pursue the matter.

“We’ll see what we can do,” said Auger. “I believe it will come up.”

Bill Bockus of Yankee Microwave cited financial reasons for the company’s decision to stop providing the service that allowed CKSH and some other channels to be viewed. Yankee Microwave used to supply several area cable companies. In latter years, however, the larger cable companies have been able to pick up the channels through their own fiber networks, Bockus said, and so no longer require the services of Yankee Microwave. Fewer outlets requiring Yankee Microwave services meant it was increasingly expensive to offer the service, he added.

— Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 or twells@journaltribune.com.