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Public hearing opens on Spectrum franchise renewal; agreement would keep public-access channels below 100 and provide $1.2 million for public-access capital
Summary
A public hearing on renewing Charter Communications' franchise with Buffalo heard company commitments that include a $1.2 million capital payment for public-access programming, continued franchise payments and a store presence in the city.
The finance committee opened a public hearing on renewing the Charter Communications (Spectrum) franchise agreement with the city. Spectrum officials described a package of commitments that the company says would continue franchise payments, provide capital support for public-access programming, maintain a retail presence in Buffalo and restore public-access channels to lower-numbered positions on cable lineups.
Representatives for Charter/Spectrum told the committee the company serves roughly 80,000 customers in Buffalo and would continue paying up to 5% of gross cable revenues to the city, a contribution that has historically yielded about $2.4 million in recent years for the city. The company also said it would provide a $1.2 million one-time capital payment to support public-access equipment and programming and would continue complimentary cable and internet service to public facilities.
Spectrum said it would restore public access channels previously moved into the 1,300 range back to lower-numbered channels (19, 20, 47, 48) and maintain both the lower channels and the 13xx channels to avoid confusing longtime viewers. The company agreed to a 120-day notice before any future channel moves and committed to a $25,000 payment if a channel move required additional outreach or relocation costs for the city.
Council members thanked Spectrum for philanthropic and job commitments but pressed the company on the ease of enrollment for low-income discounts, staffing levels at retail locations to serve seniors and the technical quality of community Internet connections supplied to local nonprofits. Spectrum officials apologized for the previous channel relocation and said they had no current plans to move channels again and would keep a physical store in Buffalo for the term of the franchise.
The committee kept the public hearing open to Jan. 28 for further input and will receive written testimony from community groups; it tabled final action until the public-hearing process closes and the administration and law department complete the franchise review and required notices.
