Minutes 05/27/1986 - Laserfiche WebLink

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^!) 91': k) t.. TUESDAY, MAY 27, 1986 /- Dear Al: Jean and I would appreciate your expressing our views at the hearing of the MULTICHANNEL TV CABLE Company. It is our feeling that Martins- ville Cablevision has been given a free hand in their program presenta- tions and charging extra for services that come free with other cable companies. Council can check in Henry County and other localities and find ESPN is not an added cost with customers subscribing to that cable company. I have also found this to be true in my traveling to North and South Carolina. Against public opinion and at an earlier hearing MULTICHANNEL TV was allowed to drop an excellent channel such as the Washington station and picked up two North Carolina channels #9 and #5 with less coverage and programs. We were subscribing to HOME BOX OFFICE and received a letter from the Martinsville Cablevision Company that this service would be changed to SHOWTIME. We were not consulted as to whether we would like this par- ticular programming, but told what we would get. It is our desire to see the City of Martinsville allow another cable company to franchise, as competition tends to make for better quality merchandise and less company dominance. If this is not feasible, would it be asking too much of the MULTICHANNEL Company to give us comparable service customers of the Henry County Cable Company are receiving. Dear Mr. Brown: I have subscribed to the cable service provided by Multi-Channel T.V. Cable Company of Mansfield for several years. I recently added to my home and purchased a T.V. set for the new area. I was careful to pur- chase a "cable ready" set to eliminate the unsightly and expensive "box" on top of my existing set. After installation, I was amazed to find that in order to receive the news channels, ESPN, and other channels, I must rent yet another "box" at an additional cost of $78.00 per year. I am already paying $327.60 per year to have these channels provided to my home. In my mind, these duplicate charges are extremely unfair and would not be possible except for the monopoly situation under which the cable companies operate. I would urge you and the City Council to look closely at this situation at the time of renewal of the next contract with the cable company. Would you please provide a copy of my letter to members of the City Council. Thank you, Appearing before Council on behalf of Multi-Channel T.V. Cable Co. (of Mansfield) were Mr. Patrick J. Conley, its Vice-President, Mr. L. Rozeck, Division Manager, and Mr. William Anas, Manager of Martinsville Cablevision, with Mr. Conley responding to the , "."-._.,.__._..._'_._~--_._~-_._-,-_.-..~_._._-_._-~-- -.......----------...-.---.-.-,.--.