Here Is Your Chance To Beef At Comcast

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced, as part of the City of Philadelphia’s negotiation process with Comcast Corp. to renew its franchise agreement, the City will host several public forums next week to continue its efforts to assess the community’s cable-related needs and interests.

“Public feedback from Comcast subscribers and residents is critical to the process as we continue to negotiate the renewal of the franchise agreement,” said the Mayor. “We have been asking for input from the public for more than two years, and the City issued a Community Needs Assessment Report last week based upon what we’ve received so far, but the completion and release of the report does not conclude the City’s efforts to gather as much feedback as it can from citizen’s about their needs, interests and perspectives related to cable service in the city.  We will continue to solicit opinions from the public as we negotiate a deal which will serve Philadelphians for the next 15 years.”

On Apr. 9, the City released a 571-page report on community needs and a technical review of the Comcast cable television system as part of a franchise renewal process involving the City’s four franchise areas. The 15-year cable television franchise agreement, which expires later this year, authorizes Comcast, the current franchise holder, to use public “rights-of-way” for an agreed term of years to operate its cable system and deliver cable service.

While endorsing the detailed set of recommendations in the report as part of the City’s ongoing negotiations with Comcast, Mayor Nutter said the City is also seeking a range of additional improvements in the next franchise agreement, and he announced a significant new level of franchise oversight as part of the current and future agreements.

Comcast is also being challenged by the Feds over its attempt to merge with Time Warner, Inc. which is worried the communications giant will gobble up the bulk of the broadband internet market and give it unfair leverage over TV channel owners and new market entrants.

You need to attend one or more of these meetings, if you want your two cents heard.

Tuesday, Apr. 28: 12:00-2:00 p.m. at PCI Library, 1905 Locust Street. 5:00-7:00 p.m. at S. Phila. HS, 2101 S. Broad Street.

Wednesday, Apr. 29: 5:00-7:00 p.m. at MaST Charter School, 1800 E. Byberry Road.

Thursday, Apr. 30: 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Community Center at Visitation, 2646 Kensington Avenue. 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Martin Luther King HS, 6100 Stenton Avenue.

Saturday, May 2: 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Bibleway Baptist Church, 1323 N. 52^nd Street.

In addition to attending one of the City’s scheduled public meetings, citizens can also provide feedback to the City at: Email: CitizenFeedback@phila.gov; Voicemail: Call (215) 686-8125 to leave a message. Mail: Cable Franchise Authority; Attn: Cable Television Administrator, City Hall, Room 702, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Citizens can access the needs assessment report at http://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises, or by visiting www.phila.gov and following the link for the Community Needs Assessment Report.

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