Auto Channel Search places all channels in skip mode causing channel changes to made by number input instead of up/down button. Having to manually turn "Skip" off on each channel individually.

Select the channel you want to eliminate, select one by one, and skip them by pressing the skip button on the remote control. Skipped channels will not appear later.
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somewhere in the channel settings is a skip feature take program 73 off skip mode

it simply means that channel3 has been set to skip/go to the tuning menu and select manual search.select channel position3 and cancel channel skip function.

Start by getting into the menu. You must be in the over the air mode to receive those channels you mentioned, and they are limited. Find antenna (on menu) and find cable mode ( hook up). Then program for auto channel search. Next, find the sound menu and find stereo mode. Thanks for asking and show all hands of support!

Hold down both the PRESET-HOLD buttons on remote at the same time
Press again until AUTO is displayed.
Press ^Volume to start automatic search

It allows you to skip that channel when surfing using the up and down channel buttons. You can still punch the channel in with the number pad to get to it though.

While in SCAN mode, enter the number of the channel you want to lockout. To re-activate it, enter the channel number again.

TV SETTING
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Use or button to select the TV setting menu, then press or button.
3. Use or button to select the Channel no. setting and use the or button
to change from AIR (over-the-air broadcasts) to CABLE (cable/satellite broadcasts).
4. Use or button to select the Tuning mode and use the or button.
5. Use or button to select the Auto tune and press or button to
confirm the selection. The unit will immediately search through all possible TV
channels and store those channels with signals in memory. After this is complete,
the unit will switch to the first channel found.
6. To exit the MAIN MENU and return to the normal screen, press the EXIT button.
Note : In DVD mode, this option is not available.
Remarks:
1. Channel no. : 2-69 channel for Air mode, 1-125 channel for Cable mode.
2. Tuning mode : Air or Cable mode are available.
3. Auto tune : Searches for usable stations and stores them in memory.
4. Skip : ON - Skip weak channels. OFF - No channel skip.
5. Fine tune : The frequency changes to allow fine tuning.
6. AFC : Auto frequency control.
7. MTS : Select the Mono sound/Stereo sound/Secondary Audio Program (SAP).
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TV SETUP
MTS (Multi-channel Television Sound) SETTING
This feature allows reception of sound other than the main audio for the program.
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Use or button to select the TV setting menu, then press or button.
3. Use or button to select MTS menu, and press or button to select the
options (Mono, Stereo, SAP)
4. To exit the MAIN MENU and return to the normal screen, press the EXIT button
on remote control.
Note:
• MTS only operates while in TV mode.
• The SAP (Secondary Audio Programs) feature allows a TV station to broadcast
other information, which could be audio in another language.
RESTORE SETTING
If you reset the TV to the factory settings, all your present settings on picture &
sound will be erased and replaced by the factory’s default settings. However, picture
setting in PC mode and parental setting will not be erased.

Sounds like you need to go to the main menu and run the automatic channel selector again. It will take note note of which channels are not in use and then skip over them when you use the channel advance. Use your remote to get into the main menu and select the "TV" submenu. Then run the auto channel select. After that's done, you can also manually choose to skip channels you don't like. I believe the channel numbers appear in green if they're to be included, and yellow if they're to be skipped. Even if a channel is skipped, you should be able to get to it anytime by punching in the number on your remote.

Go into the menu to the "Search" tab, channel down until you are on "auto search" then press "volume up"

this will automatically add channels you can get, you can manually change skip settings there too if you want to not see a channel you get or for some reason add a channel you don't get etc.