Comcast-PitCo peace talk prompted by GrassRoots flap
Andrew Travers
Aspen Daily News Staff Writer
Aspen, CO Colorado
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Two Comcast Cable employees sat down with the Pitkin County commissioners Tuesday in an attempt to patch up relations between the company and the local government, in the wake of an aborted plan to move GrassRoots Television from its longtime local home on channel 12.
In November, 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 channel 12 locally for its entire 38-year history. It is the longest running public access television station in the U.S.
The move, which came in the form of an announcement rather than an invitation to discuss the matter, sparked a heated response from county officials who characterized the company as a bully that provides poor customer service.
The company backed off its plan to move GrassRoots as a result of the local blow back. This week, they did introduce KDBI to Pitkin County customers on channel 10, leaving GrassRoots on 12.
On Tuesday, Comcast General Manager Mark Grimmett and director of government affairs Janet Rinaldi apologized to the commissioners for their indelicate handling of the situation.
“We thought that moving GrassRoots to a lower channel would be OK,” Rinaldi said. “I wasn’t prepared for the emotion surrounding the issue and I take full responsibility for that ... We’ve learned from it.”
She said Comcast also had misunderstood KDBI’s request, and thought they had legally-binding “must carry status” with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They did not.
“It revealed how tender an issue channel 12 is for this community,” commissioner Michael Owsley said, pointing toward the harsh criticism he and his colleagues levied against Comcast in recent months.
Richie Cohen, a board member at GrassRoots, lobbied Comcast officials to support keeping the local nonprofit on channel 12 in the future, imploring Grimmett and Rinaldi to use their clout to keep the station in its historic slot.
“We could be a feather in your cap,” Cohen said. “Is it possible for Comcast to take a position that they will defend us and our ability to stay on channel 12?”
Rinaldi responded, “I can’t make that commitment. I’m sorry.”
Under FCC rules, the station could still get bumped by any commercial network that wants the channel, and possibly by another non-commercial one.
Pitkin County Attorney John Ely said he has enlisted the help of a Denver-based communications lawyer to see how the county might help GrassRoots fight off another public broadcasting station attempting to move it off of channel 12 under the guise of “must carry” rules.
The commissioners also used the hour-long meeting to raise complaints with Comcast’s customer service and communication with their 2,500 paying customers in Aspen, 1,500 in unincorporated Pitkin County and 1,000 in Snowmass Village.
They raised issues with the price of service, the company declining to serve outlying areas of the rural county, poor picture reception on new high-definition channels, and perceived impersonal customer relations.
Rinaldi urged locals to direct any complaints to her in the Denver office.
“I can’t bother calling you because it’s going to be a waste of my time,” commissioner Jack Hatfield said. “What I want to see is some improvement.”
andrew@aspendailynews.com
To read this article from the source, click here.
In November, 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 channel 12 locally for its entire 38-year history. It is the longest running public access television station in the U.S.
The move, which came in the form of an announcement rather than an invitation to discuss the matter, sparked a heated response from county officials who characterized the company as a bully that provides poor customer service.
The company backed off its plan to move GrassRoots as a result of the local blow back. This week, they did introduce KDBI to Pitkin County customers on channel 10, leaving GrassRoots on 12.
On Tuesday, Comcast General Manager Mark Grimmett and director of government affairs Janet Rinaldi apologized to the commissioners for their indelicate handling of the situation.
“We thought that moving GrassRoots to a lower channel would be OK,” Rinaldi said. “I wasn’t prepared for the emotion surrounding the issue and I take full responsibility for that ... We’ve learned from it.”
She said Comcast also had misunderstood KDBI’s request, and thought they had legally-binding “must carry status” with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They did not.
“It revealed how tender an issue channel 12 is for this community,” commissioner Michael Owsley said, pointing toward the harsh criticism he and his colleagues levied against Comcast in recent months.
Richie Cohen, a board member at GrassRoots, lobbied Comcast officials to support keeping the local nonprofit on channel 12 in the future, imploring Grimmett and Rinaldi to use their clout to keep the station in its historic slot.
“We could be a feather in your cap,” Cohen said. “Is it possible for Comcast to take a position that they will defend us and our ability to stay on channel 12?”
Rinaldi responded, “I can’t make that commitment. I’m sorry.”
Under FCC rules, the station could still get bumped by any commercial network that wants the channel, and possibly by another non-commercial one.
Pitkin County Attorney John Ely said he has enlisted the help of a Denver-based communications lawyer to see how the county might help GrassRoots fight off another public broadcasting station attempting to move it off of channel 12 under the guise of “must carry” rules.
The commissioners also used the hour-long meeting to raise complaints with Comcast’s customer service and communication with their 2,500 paying customers in Aspen, 1,500 in unincorporated Pitkin County and 1,000 in Snowmass Village.
They raised issues with the price of service, the company declining to serve outlying areas of the rural county, poor picture reception on new high-definition channels, and perceived impersonal customer relations.
Rinaldi urged locals to direct any complaints to her in the Denver office.
“I can’t bother calling you because it’s going to be a waste of my time,” commissioner Jack Hatfield said. “What I want to see is some improvement.”
andrew@aspendailynews.com
To read this article from the source, click here.
