Jul 12, 2007
Cable competition may force Greenwich TV to work harder
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New laws in the state allowing for more competition for Cablevision are leaving people wondering about the impact on local televisions stations, including Greenwich Community Television (GCTV).
Under the law, known as “An Act Concerning Certified Competitive Video Service,” aka Public Act 07-253, telecommunications companies such as Verizon or AT&T will now be able to act as video providers and offer packages to consumers to watch cable channels. While no alternative services for cable have been offered in town yet, Connecticut consumers will soon be able to choose something other than Cablevision if they want cable TV.
Paul Curtis, production coordinator for GCTV, isn’t objecting to the increased competition, but rather is concerned about the future this legislation holds for public access channels like GCTV. While the channel recently signed a new 10-year franchise agreement with Cablevision to remain as part of its package of channels through 2017, no such agreements exist with any of these potential competitors.
“This is definitely something that’s going to affect us,” Mr. Curtis said. “We’re going to have to negotiate deals now with whoever offers service in Greenwich to get on their package of channels.”
Mr. Curtis isn’t alone in wondering about the future. GCTV is part of the Area 9 Cable Council, which includes other public access channels from different municipalities that would also have to negotiate deals with competing companies in their communities. Mr. Curtis said the goal of the council is to make sure towns and school boards have the opportunity to broadcast, just as they already do on Cablevision.
Mr. Curtis’s concerns don’t stem out of any particular dedication to Cablevision, but rather making sure everyone in the community has the chance to see GCTV’s programming, which includes town meetings and community-oriented issue discussions.
“We’re not part of Cablevision,” Mr. Curtis said. “We serve the citizens. We want to make sure that no matter what service a person in town subscribes to, they have access to our programming.”
But while the deal with Cablevision was signed just last spring, Mr. Curtis also wonders what impact the new law might have on it. A large source of GCTV’s funding, until this year, has always been grants from Cablevision, and fewer subscribers to Cablevision might mean less money coming in for the local channels.
“The funds for the grants are paid by subscribers,” Mr. Curtis said. Subscribers see a line on their bill for such grants and the money is pooled among towns for use at these community stations, he said. Money is used for equipment and staff.
“Cablevision is required to do that funding, but that fee is not part of any agreements under the new legislation,” Mr. Curtis said. “It’s something else that has to be negotiated with the companies providing the service ... In addition, Cablevision could well turn around and say to us now that we can only provide programming for them and not AT&T or Verizon.”
The council, which includes representatives from 10 municipalities in Fairfield County, is expected to be following this process closely. Donald Saltzman, council vice chairman, said there would not be less funding because state law would mandate any competitor give the same $5 per year per subscriber that Cablevision collects for the public access channels. However, he said Cablevision doesn’t want to share.
“Cablevision is claiming that because the programming is funded by its subscribers they don’t have to send the signal out to their competitors,” Mr. Saltzman said. “The Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) has opened a docket to investigate these claims. The council and the DPUC are asking Cablevision to prove their claims.”
Stu Reider, the GCTV Committee’s representative on the council, said all of the local access channels would be available to cable subscribers because of the state government’s strong support for channels like GCTV. He said things would be a lot clearer once Cablevision responds to DPUC’s interrogatories and clarifies its position.
Public Act 07-253 passed through both houses of the state legislature. All Greenwich legislative delegates — State Sen. William Nickerson and State Reps. Claudia “Dolly” Powers, Livvy Floren and Lile Gibbons — voted in favor of the bill. Ms. Powers, who serves as deputy Republican leader at large, said she supported having increased competition and giving consumers more options. She added the legislators were confident this would not hurt public access channels.
“We asked this question directly during our hearings,” Ms. Powers said. “We have been assured the public access channels would not be taken off at all. They told us there would have to be a process, but they will not be taken off the air.”
Ms. Floren said if there were “unintended consequences” she would defer to “experts like Paul Curtis,” but she said it was good legislation that “leveled the playing field.”
Heather Wilner, Verizon spokeswoman, said she couldn’t comment on any specifics about Greenwich, or any other Connecticut towns, because its “FIOS” television service isn’t yet available here. She did say that public access channels would be part of the negotiations the company would undertake with each community. She noted they are available in New York communities where service has begun.
Mr. Saltzman said he, too, believed the promises.
“There’s no problem,” Mr. Saltzman said. “The future of video delivery in Fairfield County is changing.”
Mr. Curtis said he felt ultimately a deal with Verizon would take place. He said the company is in better position to offer its service first in Greenwich because it’s already wired for it. He said he hoped the town and company would be able to reach an agreement similar to the one Verizon has in Port Chester, N.Y., which keeps the local public access channel as part of its lineup. AT&T is already offering services in Norwalk and Stamford.
Mr. Curtis said he wouldn’t know for sure where things stood, however, until Verizon, AT&T or another company approached the town to provide their service here. Once that happens, negotiations may begin.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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