I get "free" cable where I live--I pay a flat fee (listed in the lease) to the management for a hook up to the rooftop antenna.  Unfortunately for them, they don't have a working connection to the antenna, so the cable company just provides basic cable through the line.  They just changed cable companies, and put a new cable outlet in the wall about 15 feet (along the wall, rather than a direct line).  I have a long enough Co-ax cable, but now I get very bad ghost images on the local stations--I am assuming the cable is acting as an antenna to pick up extra signals.  

Is there a reasonably priced, well shielded cable that I can pick up that might help?  Ideally, I need 20 ft. with the connections on the ends already (wall to VCR), and another 4 feet to do the VCR to TV thing.

If the Co-ax cable is not the culprit--maybe reflections off the big buildings in the area are?  Is there some kind of a reasonable filter system that I can get to help?  I rarely watch TV, but the wife does watch the networks.

PS--no pay channels are included with the service.  If I want pay channels, I need to pay for the basic cable first, then the premium channels--kind of a rip off when everyone else is getting "free" basic cable.

Go to th elocal Radio Shack.They'll fix you up with a filter for under 10.00

There is the possiblity that the new outlet was not cut properly and is allowing signal in to affect your picture.
If you use you try other COAX jumpers and the lower channels picture does not improve then you know it is the new outlet not your inside jumper. You may need to have the fittings recut

For the ghost issue, you may have a bad cable.  Check multiple neighbor's cables for the same problem.  It's either the main cable from the pole, or your single line from the splitter.  You're experencing a channel frequency shift from some POS cable.