Cable Television Committee Presents Ascertainment Study and Recommendations

By Bob Batt

At their meeting on October 21, 2013 the Selectmen heard a report from the Cable Television Committee regarding renewal of Comcast’s operating license for providing cable television service in Bedford.  Negotiations for renewal of Comcast’s license, which expires in March 2014, are ongoing.

A required “Ascertainment Study and Recommendations” was presented by William Deen of the Cable Committee and Attorney William August, special counsel retained to assist with this license negotiation. The Study identified four major issues to be addressed in the negotiation:

• operating funds provided by the vendor for Public, Education, Government (PEG) local access television;
• capital funds provided by the vendor for PEG access equipment and maintenance;
• creation of an Information Network (I-Net) within the town;
• improvement of the Comcast “backhaul” system.

PEG operating funds are paid to the town quarterly at a rate of 3.5% of the vendors’ annual revenue from Bedford subscribers and are used to produce local access programming.  PEG capital funds consist of a separate amount paid by the vendor for equipment, maintenance, and system construction—a fixed amount agreed upon in the license paid incrementally.  Both these amounts are funded by subscribers through a separate line item on their bills.

The Town would like Comcast to undertake construction of an I-Net that would provide video, audio, data and other types of signal connections between a wide range of town functions and systems. If agreement cannot be reached with Comcast for creating the I-Net, the town will then ask that Comcast pay an additional $50,000 toward the Town’s efforts to create such a system. If an I-Net of sufficient functionality is achieved, the necessity for improvements to the backhaul system would be eliminated, as the I-Net should provide that function. If the final I-Net is not capable of this function, Comcast would still be responsible for improvements or replacement of its current backhaul system.

The study includes information from two main sources: a required “Subscriber Survey” conducted in early 2013 to determine the citizens’ satisfaction with cable service in town and to solicit comments on items needing improvement, plus a public hearing held on April 25, 2013,, at which citizens were able to express their concerns about current cable performance and problems. The study also contains input from several town departments and Bedford TV.

The I-Net would link the town’s public buildings, especially public meeting spaces and schools, to one another and to the local access studio for the purpose of live video connections between these public venues and recording and editing facilities in the studio.  The studio also provides links to the cable providers’ networks for cable-casting of local programming; the I-Net would allow live viewing of town meetings and events.

Other recommendations made in the Ascertainment Study include customer service issues, payment procedures, proof-of-performance protocols, and the restoration of basic cable reception to Bedford High School classrooms.  In addition, Comcast is asked as a provision of the contract to provide Internet service to schools and municipal buildings.

Deen went on to explain some of the results of the Cable Committee’s Subscriber Survey.  Respondents were asked to evaluate and weigh for importance three main points regarding performance for both providers.  Value for Price was weighed of high importance but of low satisfaction.  Customer service was of moderate importance and in need of improvement.  Bedford Television was rated of lower importance overall, but had a very high satisfaction rating.  However, it was of very high importance for a narrow portion of survey respondents.  The question of whether respondents would pay an extra dollar specifically for improvements to Bedford Television got an equal response of yes and no.

Deen also stated that Comcast has indicated their desire that the capital amount specified in the study as needed by the town over the next ten years be partially paid by Verizon and not be fully in Comcast’s new license.

At the conclusion, the Selectmen voted to direct the Town Manager to sign the Cable Television Ascertainment Findings on their behalf.