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

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North Central Cable Communications Corporatlon09:34 Woodhlll DrlveoRosevllle. MN 5511:3o(612) 48:3-:32:3:3 July 26, 1988 St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch 345 Cedar Street St. Paul, MN 55101 To The Editor: An article in the July 20, 1988 issue of the St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch entilled, "Cable Firm Asks Cities To Run Public Access", quotes Dr. Ronald C. Eggert, Chairman of the North Suburban Cable Commission, as follows: I ''They're lying; they're just trying to usurp us," said Ron Eggert, Chairman of the North Suburban Cable Commission, referring to the company's reported costs. He said the company, repeatedly has failed to produce itemized accounts. As a result, the North Suburban Commission plans to conduct its own audit. I We regret, that the Chairman of the Commission has chosen to use this type of false and Inflammatory rhetoric as a way to avoid dealing with the substance of a cable television consumer issue, which has been before the North Suburban Cable Commission for over two years. I The issue is that Cable TV North Central is being required by the Commission to incur a cost of $4.34 per month per subscriber for public access and local origination programming, on cable channels 33 and 52, plus. $.41 per subscriber, per month for excessive insurance company security bonds. Anyone who visits our Public Access facilities knows that they are objectively over-staffed, underutilized and grossly inefficient. We can provide this service for much less than we are presently required to spend. I Because of this officially imposed inefficiency, our costs for these functions are the highest of any cable system in the United States, and it follows that although cable subscribers receive absolutely no offselling' benefit, their rates must be expected to be unnecessarily higher than elsewhere. I We are seeking only to eliminate this inefficiency, to bring bonding to a reasonable level and thus, to reduce pressure on the rates our subscribers must be asked to pay. This would not reduce the public access and local origination service on cable channels 33 and 52. Everybody would win. I We do not understand the Commission's objectives in forcing the Company to be inefficient and to waste the money of its subscribers. Never once, have we been able to discuss this mailer with Chairman Eggert or the Commission in a calm and reasoned manner.