MICHIGAN

Why the Congressional Hearing on PEG Matters

Posted on January 29, 2008 - 10:14am.

Today's Commerce Telecommunications Subcommittee Hearing, "Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) services in the Digital TV Age", was called by Rep. John Dingell (MI) in response to Comcast's actions in Michigan. Comcast had unilaterally announced that PEG channels in many municipalities would be bumped from analog cable carriage to obscure digital channels in the 900 range. The move would mean that 'basic' cable subscribers would no longer have access to the local PEG channels, in fact they would need to subscribe to more a expensive digital cable service tier and pay for an additional charge for a digital cable set-top box.

( categories: AT&T | Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: Comcast's Cohen To Issue PEG Apology To Congress

Posted on January 29, 2008 - 8:49am.

from: MultiChannel News

Comcast's Cohen To Issue PEG Apology To Congress
Will Admit Fumbling Plan Concerning Public, Educational, and Government Channels

By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 1/29/2008 4:38:00 AM

WASHINGTON – In a contrite statement, Comcast Corp. executive vice president David Cohen is planning to apologize to a House subcommittee Tuesday afternoon for fumbling a plan that required thousands of Michigan subscribers to obtain at least one digital set-top box to view local public, educational, and government (PEG) channels.

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: Cable Competition, Prices, and Service Rated 'Very Poor'

Posted on January 29, 2008 - 8:23am.

from: The Street Insider

Cable Competition, Prices, and Service Rated 'Very Poor'

January 29, 2008 8:10 AM EST

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the law firm of Howard & Howard Attorneys, P.C. issued its inaugural "Cable Competition Index" for the State of Michigan. Howard & Howard's Cable Competition Index considers the status of wireline video competition in the state, the level of customer service provided by cable operators, and the relative pace of cable price increases.

( categories: AT&T | Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

House Schedules Hearing 'Pegged' to Comcast Move

Posted on January 25, 2008 - 5:26pm.

from: Broadcasting and Cable

House Schedules Hearing 'Pegged' to Comcast Move
'Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Services in the Digital TV Age' Set for Jan. 29
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/24/2008 11:21:00 PM

The House Energy & Commerce Committee's Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee set the witness list for a Jan. 29 hearing on on “Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Services in the Digital TV Age.”

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

Comcast's Cohen To Testify On PEG Policy

Posted on January 25, 2008 - 5:18pm.

Note: Though the subcommittee hearing is likely to focus on PEG issues (particularly because of Comcast's dim behavior in Michigan), it could also be worth repeating a quote of Cohen's from 2006:

"In reality, the cable-broadband business is intensely rivalrous with DSL, and we expect the rivalry to intensify as we face increasing competition from wireless and satellite broadband, fiber to the home, and even broadband over power lines. Will the tens of millions of customers still on dial-up make the switch to us if we block access to content, prevent use of an application, or preclude the attachment of devices? We think not."

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: Comcast got what it bargained for

Posted on January 25, 2008 - 5:14pm.

from: Ann Arbor News

Comcast got what it bargained for
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Comcast, having benefited richly over decades from its cable television monopoly in Michigan communities, should feel compelled to give something of value back.

Not much has been asked, although one small concession historically from Comcast to this community and others has been a public access channel for locally produced programming, which are generally broadcast on channels on the low end of the spectrum.

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: Comcast got caught, trying to be slick

Posted on January 25, 2008 - 8:30am.

from: The Third Eye

Thursday, January 24, 2008
Comcast got caught (temporarily), trying to be slick

To be able to win a cable franchise, the company must provide public, educational and governmental (PEG) access. Such access bring us programs, ranging from exotic cooking, to school board meetings, to one-man and one-woman shows.

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: A Federal Court Stops Comcast's Plan to Exile Public

Posted on January 24, 2008 - 7:59am.

from: Free Expression Policy Project

A Federal Court Stops Comcast's Plan to Exile Public
Access Channels to Cable Siberia - At Least for Now

(January 16, 2008) - The large cable companies that sell the public its
"basic tier" and premium TV services have never liked "PEG"
(public, educational, and governmental) channels. But this week in Michigan,
a federal judge stopped the biggest of the cable giants, Comcast, from
reassigning PEG channels from the basic tier to high-numbered, difficult-to-find
spaces in the digital spectrum, and requiring customers to buy new digital
converters in order to view them.

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: Comcast making changes to local cable channel

Posted on January 24, 2008 - 7:54am.

from: Milan News

Comcast making changes to local cable channel

By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008

Residents tuning in to Channel 18 on their television to watch the latest city council meeting, public forum or local commission meeting will soon find the cable access channel has moved to 902 on the digital TV dial.

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )

MI: Public access!... A REPRIEVE!

Posted on January 21, 2008 - 1:00pm.

from: Good Morning Flint

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
GMF 1/16/08

GOOD MORNING FLINT! 01/16/08

BY Terry Bankert http://attorneybankert.com/
posted first at http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=22988#22988

Public access!...A REPRIEVE!!! Paul Herring of Flint is leading a revolt. He wants Comcast cable customers to boycott the company. [FJ011508 ] Thousands of Genesee County residents enjoy the Public Access programing on channel 17 Comcast. Comcast a monolply is obligated to public acess ,hoodwinked the stae legislature and has almost taken it away from us.[trb] The cable company planned to move PEG channels in Michigan into the 900 range, which would require subscribers to buy digital, cable-ready TVs or rent or buy a digital converter box for each analog set they own.[Cen01/15/08] Comcast Cable is a regulated monopoly essentially because at its inception they needed public property to string their cable, in exchange we got public access programing. By a state law slight of hands or campaign contributions the state legislature let them run away with our access to television. Ask a State Rep How did you let this happen?[ trb]

( categories: Comcast | MICHIGAN | State Franchises )
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