Stockbridge Updates
Your bi-weekly source for news and opinion
HomeArchiveVol. III No. 19 10/1/2022Notes from the 5-Town Cable Advisory Committee, September 13, Hybrid meeting
Vol. III No. 19 10/1/2022

Notes from the 5-Town Cable Advisory Committee, September 13, Hybrid meeting

Present:

  • Linda Miller, Chair, Lenox
  • Anita Schwerner, Stockbridge
  • Michael Canales, Stockbridge
  • Patrick White, Stockbridge
  • Dan Miller, Great Barrington
  • Tom Hatch, Great Barrington
  • Rene Wood, Sheffield
  • Chris Britain, Lee
  1. The 5 towns are Sheffield, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, Lee and Lenox.
  2. Miller called the Public Meeting to explain the steps in negotiating a new contract with Spectrum to order. The Commonwealth requires
    1. Ascertainment – determining the needs and level of satisfaction in community
    2. Negotiation
  3. To ascertain, the Advisory Committee distributed a survey and received 500 responses. Summary of results:
    1. Displeasure in compliance with contract
    2. Displeasure with speed of complaint to resolution
    3. Rapid rise in monthly cost of cable without improvement in or expansion of service
  4. The negotiation
    1. Important to note that since had no compliance problems with Time Warner, the Advisory Committee gave up the clause on noncompliance and damages. It was a mistake as there are problems of this nature with Spectrum
    2. Question: since Charter/Spectrum is a monopoly, what power do we have to negotiate?
    3. Two responses: this is a new process and other communities in the Berkshires are watching and perhaps a possibility to create a countywide association and more negotiating power
  5. White asked: This is a 10-year contract and subscriptions are projected to go down significantly over the next ten years — since the Spectrum payment to CTSB is linked to number of subscribers (94cents/month per subscriber) — is there a plan for funding CTSB? Could five Select Boards vote to supplement CTSB budget
    1. Response from Wood: No, she is on Sheffield Select Board and will not ask them to supplement CTSB budget
    2. Response from Chair: since it is nonprofit there may be funding options — could investigate

Editor's note: Chair recommended that all cable users that have complaints, write her. The Cable Advisory Committee cannot advocate on the behalf of users' unless the committee has a written complaint.

 

photo
Josh Billings: Before it starts. Photo: Patrick White