WilliNet Head Urges Opposition to Verizon PetitionBy Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
07:50PM / Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Selectmen Richard Steege and Chairwoman Jane Allen listen to Debby Dane share her concerns over potential changes to a cable report. |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Verizon's request to withold cable subscriber information from public disclosure could have far-reaching effects on towns that don't use Verizon for television.
Debby Dane, executive director of cable public-access station WilliNet, asked the Selectmen on Monday night to go on record in opposition to the request because of how it could change the town's relationship with Time Warner Cable.
According to a notice for comments from the state Department of Telecommunications and Cable, "if the department grants the relief requested by Verizon and amends Form 500 to no longer require disclosure of total subscribers, this amendment will apply to all cable licensees."
Dane said that could mean Time Warner would no longer provide subscriber information, putting WilliNet and the town at a disadvantage in future negotiations.
The state's Form 500 requires cable licensees to report the number of subscribers in each municipality it covers, the number of complaints they receive and how those complaints are resolved. Verizon MA, which now offers FiOS (fiber-optic) television to more than 75 communities, petitioned the state to eliminate the annual reporting because it directly helps its long-established competition.
Debby Dane, director of WilliNet, checks her notes. |
"This data paints a detailed picture of Verizon MA's market performance, including market penetration, broken down by municipality and throughout the state. Access to this data provides Verizon MA's competitors with critical insight into Verizon MA's business success within individual cities and towns — free and extremely valuable market research that they otherwise could not obtain without significant expenditure of time and resources."
Verizon says it's offering the first real competition in the cable market in years, which can only help consumers. But Dane said helping Verizon could hurt the town's 2,238 cable existing subscribers.
"If we can't know how many subscribers Time Warner has in our town it makes it difficult two ways," she told Selectmen. "Our [franchise] fee is based on the subscription rate. If we don't know that, we can't hold them accountable to the contract the town has with them now, which is 4 percent."
Secondly, not having access to Form 500 data could put the Cable Advisory Committee at a disadvantage when it enters negotiations in two years, said Dane.
The Selectmen agreed that the issue was important and tasked Chairwoman Jane Allen with writing a letter in opposition to the petition.
Selectman David Rempell urged other citizens to make their views known as well. The Department of Telecommunications is accepting comments on the petition until 5 p.m. on May 1. They can be sent to:
Catrice C. Williams, secretary,
Department of Telecommunications and Cable,
Two South Station, 4th floor, Boston, MA 02110.
For more information on the petition, click here.
In other business:
■ Philip Cantelan was appointed as a Republican representative to the Registrars of Voters. A lifelong resident, he was active for years on the Repbulian Town Committee and served on the Conservation Commission.
■ The board set a water rate for fiscal 2010 of $3.37 per 100 cubic feet; a sewer rate $4.92 per 100 cubic feet and sewer rate for Cold Spring Road of $5.39 per 100 cubic feet. The transfers fees will remain the same.
■ The board approved three proclamations: a recognition of the 45th anniversary of the Northern Berkshire Professional Women, Arbor Day on April 24, and National Volunteer Week next week.
■ The board also approved two benefit races: the Williams College Run for the Cure on Sunday, April 26, at 2 p.m. around the town and a cross-state bike trek for the American Lung Association on June 27 beginning at the Williams Inn at 7 a.m. to Main Street, Cole Avenue and North Hoosac Road into North Adams. |
