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From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Cable Television
Message-ID: <969@terak.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-Jan-86 17:13:36 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.969
Posted: Tue Jan  7 17:13:36 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Jan-86 06:09:05 EST
References: <249@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 31

>     About 2 years ago, the town in which I live signed an agreement 
> with a cable company to give them the "franchise" to "wire" the town 
> and offer cable TV service to the residents.  [Since that time, the 
> FCC has de-regulated cable TV and stated that cable television is not 
> a monopoly and therefore there can be competition...
> o   ATTITUDE:  The company states that since there is now competition, 
>     consumers can shop around if they do not like the rates which they 
>     are being charged.  They cite the FCC deregulation order...

There's nothing I know of that you can do by yourself.  But if you can
convince the town government...  all they have to do is threaten to
cancel the franchise and turn it over to another cable company.  The
thought of having to close up after the expense of wiring the town
ought to make the cable folks think twice.

The "franchise" that the town grants is one of allowing the cable to
be strung along municipal rights-of-way (utility poles, etc.) and to
use the city's power of eminent domain to dig up your rose garden to
lay underground cable.

>     I can 
>     not believe that either the cable company or the FCC can seriously 
>     believe that once a cable company has "wired" an area that another 
>     company will try to parallel wire it and compete...

But another cable company might be persuaded to enter a competitive bid
for your local franchise.  In your case, though, I doubt it because the
rates are about 1/4 to 1/2 of the usual cable rates.  I think you'd
better resign yourself to the higher rates.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug