Agenda - Council - 08/23/1988 - Laserfiche WebLink

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.lilt 2 6 1988 RECEIVE1 North Central Cable Communications Corporation0934 Woodhill DriveoRoseville, MN 551130(612) 483-3233 July 8, 1988 Mr. David Hartley Quad Cities Cable Commission 15153 Nowthen Blvd. NW Ramsey, MN 55303 Dear Mr. Hartley: We have in numerous written and oral communications advised the Quad Cities Cable Commission and its staff: 1) 2) That the currently required level of expenditures for public access and local origination programming is arbitrary, wasteful and extremely burdensome on cable subscribers, who must ultimately bear this heavy cost. I That the amount of this cost Is $189,683 per year, or 11.20/0 of the cable system's annual revenue, or $3.25 per month per subscriber. To our knowledge, NCTV is required to spend, in its cable systems in Minnesota, a greater percent of annual revenue than any cable system In the United States to support public access/local origination programming. That thei required facilities and staffing far exceed any actual requirements, and are grossly underutilized. An on-site visit would clearly demonstrate that the facility goes largely unused. Huge operating expenses are being mechanically Incurred without benefit to anyone. i That after years of availability, the total number of producers who utilized the public access facilities in 1987 was 16, of which only 4 were paying subscribers. The total expenditure, listed in paragraph two (2) I above, results in a contribution of $47,420 for each subscriber who used the facility. I That we'do not believe our subscribers value and are willing to pay for this service at the rate of $3.25 per month. ! That COnsequently, our mutual objective should be to reduce this expenditure and the resulting upward pressure on subscriber rates. 3) 4) 5) 6) We have also In numerous written and oral communications proposed to the Quad Cities Commission, alternative means of dealing with this problem. We repeat these proposals. _"... ,.. _0. _ ~_._'...