06/21/82 Board of Public Works Minutes

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327 REGULAR MEETING JUNE 21 1982 WTBS, the largest.independent station in the country with programming 24 hours a day. The Cable Health Network, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Arts and CBS Cable offering symphonies, ballets, Broadway plays and music festivals. Mr. Moss stated that it has been 26 months since Cable TV had asked for and been given an increase, and he added that the company was experiencing a great inflationary period at this time which necessitated the rate increase. Mrs. Oliver Parcher, 509 West Jefferson Street, stated that Cable TV was not available for her and she asked what was being done to furnish cable service to South Bend residents. Mr. Moss explained that overhead wires and lines were not allowed in the downtown area and because of this restriction, Cable TV could not be furnished. He stated that his company was, however, working with Indiana Bell Telephone Company in an effort to install cable underground with its underground telephone conduit. He explained that this would be the only way Cable TV could be provided the downtown (� residents. He was hopeful this could be accomplished in the near future. Mr. Hill asked how the proposed rate increases compared to other cable systems in other cities. Mr. Moss stated that Indiana Cablevision was offering its customers all the channels as a part of basic service and, in other cities, these extra channels were offered as a pay option and the residents were charged for the channels. Mr. Kernan asked if the rate increase affected Home Box Office and Showtime programming. Mr. Moss stated that it did not. He also assured the Board that the company proposed to hold these rates for a 24-month period with the feeling that another increase would not be necessary before that time. Mr. Leszczynski stated that, when Cable TV had come before the Board for a rate increase the last time, the Board had received many complaints from unsatisfied customers. He asked what sort of mechanism had been developed to resolve these problems since the Board had not been receiving any complaints for some time. Mr. Moss stated that all complaints concerning service and lack of service are responded to within 24 hours. He stated that servicemen are available up to 10:00 p.m. every night, with emergency service for entire areas available 24 hours a day. He explained that the telephone is manned 24 hours a day for receiving complaints. Mr. Leszczynski asked if the customers would be required to obtain a converter for the new channels. Mr. Moss stated that each Cable TV subscriber would need to obtain a converter in order to receive cablevision. He explained that the converters would be available after August lst and the customers would be asked to pick up the converters at a Cable store at no charge for self -installation. Mr. Moss stated that, if a person was not able to pick up the converter and install it, the company would do so. He stated that the hook-up merely required screwing the converter wire into the cable outlet on the television. Mr. Hill stated that it was his impression that the number of service complaints received by the Board had declined. He advised that, most of the time when a complaint had been received in the past, it.was because the individual was not able to get Cable TV in a particular area. Mr. Hill asked how new cable service would be evaluated. Mr. Moss stated that Indiana Cablevision was desirous of providing cable to 97% of all homes in the franchise area. He stated that, if a request for cable service is received in a particular area, a pre -market survey would be conducted of all homeowners to determine if there was a high enough interest in hooking up to the cable. He stated that it was very expensive to run the cable and, if the pre -market study indicated a good response, the cable would be installed. He added that, by 1984, it was hoped that less than 1% of all possible homes in the franchise area would nQt be. -wired for cable acces•'sa Mr..Kernan stated that it has been over a year since he had received a complaint from a subscriber of Cable TV.