Local fans of televised harness racing from The Meadows are about to lose the cable telecasts they have been accustomed to for decades.

HorseRacing TV, which traditionally has pre-empted its national racing telecast to devote full coverage to The Meadows whenever it runs, will discontinue that practice Thursday. The arrangement where all of the local races were shown, including commentary and analysis between races, was unique among the 80 or so tracks carried on HRTV, said Chris Swan, the network's senior vice president of distribution.

He said HRTV has gained greater access to high-profile thoroughbred tracks around the country in the past year, including Churchill Downs and Aqueduct, and it wants to give local viewers the same chance to see them as racing fans have elsewhere in the country. The switch by The Meadows from evening to daytime racing last year, related to construction of its new building to combine slots and racing operations, put it in competition with many more premium tracks that operate in the afternoon, Swan said.

Officials from The Meadows and Comcast, which carries HRTV in the Pittsburgh area on channel 259 of its digital tier, said the decision was solely under the control of HRTV. HRTV is half owned by Magna Entertainment Corp., which formerly owned The Meadows and now manages its racing operations under contract with the track's current owner, Cannery Casino Resorts.