By Joan Bowen
The Selectmen acted on a pair of announcements from Bedford’s Cable Television Committee during their April 7 meeting:
Selectmen Renew Cable Agreement with Comcast
Based on the recommendation of the Cable Television Committee, the Selectmen approved the renewal of the cable license with Comcast. Key elements of the contract include:
- 10 year license which is the maximum allowed
- $150,000 for cable related needs that may include television equipment and/or the cable-related portion of the Town’s planned Institutional Network (I-Net)
- Option to increase quarterly support income from 3.5% of gross cable revenue to 4.25% in June 2019
- Stringent customer service standards and enforceable mechanisms
- $24,000 to purchase digital modulators for the Old Town Hall PEG (Public, Educational and Government) access facility to improve image quality on Comcast access channels
- Continuation of free Basic Cable to municipal and school buildings
- A senior citizen discount offered through a side letter agreement
The agreement will have an impact on surcharges that Comcast subscribers pay on their monthly bills. Through June 2019, the fee for PEG access support will remain at 3.5%. Comcast estimates that based on its current Bedford subscriber count, the surcharge for fixed capital franchise-related costs (FRC) will decrease from $2.46 per subscriber per month to about $1.80. This fee may be further reduced by an additional $0.24 when the Town completes work on its I-Net. It was further noted that the FRC assessment is dependent on the total number of Comcast’s Bedford subscribers, which is currently declining.
RFP and Contract for PEG Access Service
The Cable Television Committee presented a Request for Proposal (RFP) and model contract at the April 7 meeting of the Selectmen and provided an overview of the documents. The current three-year contract with Bedford Television to provide PEG (Public, Educational and Governmental) access service ends on June 30 of this year.
The new procurement documents include some basic changes to the current relationship of the Town and the provider. Provisions increase the active financial management by the Town, provide clarity on reporting and add the option for renewal of the contract to a fourth and fifth year. The vendor will no longer rent the access facility at Old Town Hall. The Town will charge the Cable Television Revolving Fund for Old Town Hall expenses.
Further, all surpluses and reserves will be held by the Town rather than the vendor. According to representatives of the Cable Television Committee, at the end of 2012 the current provider had a reserve of $200,000. It is anticipated that the reserve held by the current provider will be moved to the Cable Television Revolving Fund.
On the recommendation of the Cable Television Committee, the RFP was approved by the Selectmen. Advertisement of the RFP will begin immediately to ensure completion by June 30, the end of the current contract.
To secure a copy of the RFP, go to the home page at www.bedfordma.gov.
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