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Time Warner Cable’s latest series of rate increases and perceived snubs has rubbed some New York residents the wrong way, and one upstate city has retaliated by extending the cable operator’s franchise by just one year.
Cable customers from Lowville to Massena, adjacent to the Canadian border, have been venting about the cable company’s decision to increase cable rates for the second time this year across the region. The anger is nearly universal, whether one is a conservative tea party member in Norwood or a liberal Democrat in Watertown.
But the strongest message heard by Time Warner officials was delivered by Massena Deputy Supervisor Albert N. Nicola, who helped shoot down the cable company’s request for a 15-year franchise renewal, and approved a one year renewal in its place. The vote was 5-0.
“They’re asking for a 15-year extension, which is absolutely totally outrageous,” Mr. Nicola told the Watertown Daily Times. “We’ve got to be crazy for even thinking about that.”
That is no Christmas present for Time Warner, whose cable franchise agreement in Massena expires this year on Dec. 25.
Town board members noted the cable company didn’t bother show up for franchise renegotiation discussions and were reportedly not in attendance for this week’s vote.
“It’s tough to ask questions of a group that isn’t here,” Nicola said.
Massena wants some changes in the local cable lineup, more responsiveness to local residents, and more involvement in the community by the cable company.
Residents want lower rates.
Wayne D. Mihalyi of Lowville called Time Warner the poster child of corporate greed. Tim Donahue of Lowville wondered how much more he and his neighbors would take from the cable operator:
How long are we going to continue having Time Warner Cable increase their rates without hesitation? Isn’t anybody out there looking out for us?
We just had all our rates increase 7.5 percent in January 2011. They cried poverty and increases in dealing with the networks. Yet another small increase occurred (because of taxes) somewhere between June’s bill and October’s.
And now we just received yet another 8 percent increase within the same year? They must have seen how Netflix did it and said, “What the heck, if they can do it so can we.”
This time we’re supposed to believe it is because of their significantly increased cost of programming. Don’t forget, we also got socked a whopping 16.5 percent increase in January of 2010. When is this nonsense going to end? I am beginning to understand the reason for some of the protesting going on. This is outright greed. There is no other explanation or words for it. They have to know that seniors haven’t even had a 1 percent raise in three years.
Want to get rid of the increases? Its simple stop giving them a monopoly and offer 2-4 other companies the ability to come in…
Funny how competition will melt those rate increases yet they extend the monopoly…
What are you talking about? It has been 20 years since federal law allowed a cable monopoly.
Any company can go in to compete. And if they did, TWC would lower prices temporarily, drive them out of biz, and raise the rates again. This is why the private sector all but abandoned overbuilding. Also why a number of communities have stepped up to build their own networks.
Just got a letter from Time Warner Austin. Our rates will be going up over 5% starting 12/01. This is the same Time Warner that doesn’t carry NFL network because they cared so much about keeping customers rates down. Shame on Time Warner, and shame on our local govt and politicians that stand on the sidelines and do nothing about TW’s monopoly in many areas in Texas.
If Texas law didn’t prevent it, I would guess Austin might consider building its own network owned by the city utility. But TWC and the other big providers bought enough legislators to take away local authority to build broadband networks.