County looks into changes in cable TV

Comcast moved several basic channels to digital last month, requiring customers with older analog cable boxes to replace them with digital cable boxes in order to continue to receive the programming.

The channels affected were Cartoon, CMT, History, Outdoor, Travel and TRU TV. The change took effect on April 15.

Comcast ran a notice in the Hancock area in The Hancock News but not in Morgan County.

Comcast has an office in Hancock, but not in Morgan County. The company has cable franchise agreements with Morgan County and the towns of Hancock and Bath.

The newspaper notice informed customers to contact Comcast for “complete details about service, pricing and equipment.”

Questions raised
Attorney William Carey of Berkeley Springs discussed the cable TV changes with the Morgan County Commissioners last Thursday afternoon, May 13.
Carey was appointed to oversee Morgan County’s franchise contract with Comcast when the agreement was renewed on May 7, 2002. The 10-year contract was first signed on May 7, 1992 and is now set to expire on May 7, 2012.

The contract with the county lists the channels that Comcast is required to supply and also contains a provision for Comcast to continue to expand its network in Morgan County.

Carey said he would look into these issues and complaints by Comcast customers as well as whether Comcast is expanding service in the county.
“In my current role as intermediary between the county and the company, I will pass on these complaints and see what can be done about them,” Carey said.

Carey asked that anyone with complaints about cable TV service let him know the exact nature of their complaint and said he will
pursue the matter with Comcast.