Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Cable Contract Controversy

CAC this morning, Peter Hechenbleikner (right)

Actual sit down negotiations between the town and Comcast begin next week in a closed session that will involve two members of the Cable Advisory Committee, their attorney/consultant Peter Epstein and Temporary Town Manager Peter Hechenbleikner, who expects only two Comcast representatives to appear on the other side of the table.

The CAC is only advisory to the Select Board but they have been doing the heavy lifting for the past year on the ten year contract renewal worth around $6 million annually to Comcast and $300,000 (5%) to the town for Amherst Media.

The major sticking point is going to be the one time capital request for new equipment and infrastructure improvements. 

The CAC is requesting $2.2 million and Comcast already counter offered with $450,000 -- the same amount given ten years ago and succinctly described by CAC Chair Dee Shabazz as "insulting."

Northampton just announced the renewal of their contract with Comcast and the one time capital amount went from $400,000 ten years ago to $750,000 now.

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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 26, 2016 at 4:00 PM

    So Northampton didn't go up 500%?

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  2. AnonymousApril 26, 2016 at 7:15 PM

    I don't think $2 million should be added to our cable bills. ACTV should upgrade for less.

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  3. Walter GraffApril 26, 2016 at 11:22 PM

    With the cost of equipment today, I could outfit the entire operation for less than $400k and they'd still have an amazing setup. Get real, whoever thinks they need that much capital either crazy or out of touch. I designed and built 0ver 100 remote location studios for ESPN for less.

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  4. AnonymousApril 27, 2016 at 9:25 AM

    So why haven't you volunteered.

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  5. Walter GraffApril 27, 2016 at 11:23 AM

    Volunteered for what? If they are requesting such monies, somethings not right with their request. As someone who has designed studios, broadcast systems, and infrastructures for major broadcast entities and teh governemnt, I'd love to see the breakdown of this $2 mil. request to see what I'm missing here.

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  6. Walter GraffApril 27, 2016 at 11:27 AM

    I think they want a new building. The only way I could explain such an outrageous request without seeing the breakdown.

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  7. AnonymousApril 27, 2016 at 1:22 PM

    That's my point. Perhaps you should be on their Board.

    ReplyDelete