Pitkin County- Comcast tussle over channel 12 resumes
Andrew Travers
Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Aspen, CO Colorado
Friday, December 17, 2010
Comcast Cable has backed off from its plan to move Aspen’s long-running GrassRoots Community TV programming from Channel 12 locally, but Pitkin County commissioners remain displeased with the company.
Comcast officials wrote a letter to the county recently, stating the cable provider still reserves its right to take GrassRoots off of channel 12 in the future.
When a staff member brought up the issue at a meeting this week, commissioner Jack Hatfield began the conversation by letting out an audibly disgusted, “Ugh!”
Early last month, Comcast informed the county that it was moving GrassRoots to channel 10, and putting a Denver-based PBS station, KDBI, on channel 12. GrassRoots has been on 12 locally for its entire 38-year history. It is the longest running public access television station in the U.S.
KDBI, also known as “Colorado Public Television 12,” is on channel 12 in more than 80 percent of the state.
Comcast reported to the county on Nov. 3 that it was legally bound to make the change at the behest of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), through a so-called “must carry order.” KDBI representatives said they never attempted to file any such order.
Representatives from the Denver station, KDBI, said they never intended to displace GrassRoots and raised the possibility of working together on channel 12.
KBDI has been working, she explained, for the last two years on expanding their Denver-based programs beyond the 83 percent of Colorado it already covers on channel 12s around the state. But, Johnson said, they had been hoping to reach out in advance to GrassRoots about working together, and never intended to force a takeover of the channel.
Comcast has since decided to put KDBI on channel 10 here, and leave GrassRoots on 12. KDBI will begin broadcasting locally on Jan 4. On the same day, the commissioners have invited a Comcast representative to meet them and discuss the flap. Though county-elected leaders have taken the lead on the issue, Comcast also has franchising agreements with the City of Aspen and Town of Snowmass Village, who will be invited to the January meeting with Comcast.
The county attorney’s office is researching the issue, to find out if the county has standing to block the cable company from relocating GrassRoots for another public broadcasting station.
“We should send them a letter saying we disagree with that premise that a public station can bump another public station,” commissioner Rachel Richards said.
Commissioner Michael Owsley suggested they send the letter immediately, without a legal explanation, saying the legal aspect is unimportant compared to the principal of protecting the local station. He said the county should aggressively tell Comcast to back off, and he compared his board to a chained dog threatening to bite people.
“That they assert their right is troublesome,” commissioner Patti Kay-Clapper said, adding that she was not pleased with the company overall, and with their shuffling of other channels.
Owsley sharply criticized the company’s general business practices and customer service.
“It’s too bad we have to franchise these kinds of people,” he added.
andrew@aspendailynews.com
To read this article from the source, click here.
Comcast officials wrote a letter to the county recently, stating the cable provider still reserves its right to take GrassRoots off of channel 12 in the future.
When a staff member brought up the issue at a meeting this week, commissioner Jack Hatfield began the conversation by letting out an audibly disgusted, “Ugh!”
Early last month, Comcast informed the county that it was moving GrassRoots to channel 10, and putting a Denver-based PBS station, KDBI, on channel 12. GrassRoots has been on 12 locally for its entire 38-year history. It is the longest running public access television station in the U.S.
KDBI, also known as “Colorado Public Television 12,” is on channel 12 in more than 80 percent of the state.
Comcast reported to the county on Nov. 3 that it was legally bound to make the change at the behest of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), through a so-called “must carry order.” KDBI representatives said they never attempted to file any such order.
Representatives from the Denver station, KDBI, said they never intended to displace GrassRoots and raised the possibility of working together on channel 12.
KBDI has been working, she explained, for the last two years on expanding their Denver-based programs beyond the 83 percent of Colorado it already covers on channel 12s around the state. But, Johnson said, they had been hoping to reach out in advance to GrassRoots about working together, and never intended to force a takeover of the channel.
Comcast has since decided to put KDBI on channel 10 here, and leave GrassRoots on 12. KDBI will begin broadcasting locally on Jan 4. On the same day, the commissioners have invited a Comcast representative to meet them and discuss the flap. Though county-elected leaders have taken the lead on the issue, Comcast also has franchising agreements with the City of Aspen and Town of Snowmass Village, who will be invited to the January meeting with Comcast.
The county attorney’s office is researching the issue, to find out if the county has standing to block the cable company from relocating GrassRoots for another public broadcasting station.
“We should send them a letter saying we disagree with that premise that a public station can bump another public station,” commissioner Rachel Richards said.
Commissioner Michael Owsley suggested they send the letter immediately, without a legal explanation, saying the legal aspect is unimportant compared to the principal of protecting the local station. He said the county should aggressively tell Comcast to back off, and he compared his board to a chained dog threatening to bite people.
“That they assert their right is troublesome,” commissioner Patti Kay-Clapper said, adding that she was not pleased with the company overall, and with their shuffling of other channels.
Owsley sharply criticized the company’s general business practices and customer service.
“It’s too bad we have to franchise these kinds of people,” he added.
andrew@aspendailynews.com
To read this article from the source, click here.
