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Warren council tables WideOpenWest franchise renewal while members seek fee breakdown and consumer impact
Summary
Council members delayed a renewal of WideOpenWest’s (WOW) cable franchise after extended debate about a 2% PEG fee, potential revenue losses to the communications department, and requests for franchise-fee detail from other providers.
Warren City Council on Tuesday voted to table consideration of a franchise renewal with WideOpenWest (WOW) after an extended discussion about franchise and PEG fees and concerns about how a provider exit from traditional cable could affect city communications revenue.
The vote came after Councilman Jonathan Lafferty moved to delay the item and asked the city attorney and controller to provide a financial breakdown of franchise fees from WOW, Comcast (Xfinity) and AT&T, plus an analysis of how an announced industry shift to streaming could affect franchise revenue. "I'm not at all ready to vote on this tonight; I stand by my motion to table this to the following meeting," Lafferty said.
Why it matters: Warren currently receives franchise-fee revenue that helps fund the communications department. Council members said they need numbers from all three providers and clarity on a 2% PEG (public, educational, governmental) fee that would appear as a new line on subscriber bills. Council staff said WOW has not announced plans to leave Warren, but that the industry is shifting toward streaming and broadband.
Discussion and staff response: City staff and the communications director urged passage, saying delaying the renewal could forfeit a near-term revenue stream. "WideOpenWest does not have any plans to leave Warren," a city staff member told council, while also urging the council to approve terms that would secure administrative payments and a PEG fee. Council members asked for the expiration dates and terms for Comcast and AT&T so the impact can be compared.
Outcome: The council tabled the proposed franchise renewal to allow staff to supply a detailed financial report and to give residents time to ask questions about potential new charges on subscriber bills. The tabling motion passed on a council roll call.
