The cable channels I watch for cooking shows are the Food Channel and Discovery. You will get an overdose ( if you haven't already) of Emeril on the Food TV and I don't really get all that inspired by the cooking shows on the Food Channel. I did enjoy the new show My Country, My Kitchen, but that's almost more of a travelogue. In Chicago, I think you have to be on the digital cable package to get Food TV. I just like seeing all that food on tv.
I like both Great Chefs series on Discovery. I find the food a bit more innovative and you get to see inside a real kitchen rather than a teaching kitchen. An added bonus of the Discovery Channel is that you can first watch a show on Reconstructive Surgery then watch some meat grilling right after
My favourite cooking shows are actually not on a cable channel. I much prefer the shows on PBS. Jacques and Julia, Kitchen Sessions, One Plate at a Time, Jewish Cooking in America and even MasterChef USA. I just wish that my local PBS channels had more cooking shows.