Town of Randolph, MA - Cable TV Advisory

2007 was a busy year for the Cable Advisory Committee as we worked to get community input and plan for the negotiations of our cable TV renewal license with Comcast. The committee arranged for The Center for Policy Analysis at UMass Dartmouth to be retained by the Town to conduct a telephone survey. The survey was designed to measure the satisfaction levels of Randolph residents with the cable television services provided by Comcast and to ask what residents want in the future. The survey concluded that, overall, respondents are somewhat satisfied with Comcast cable television services. Also noted in the survey, about 87% of residents are familiar with Randolph Community Television (RCTV), which cablecasts public, educational and government access programming on three channels. The results of the survey available at http://www.umassd.edu/cfpa/polling.cfm will be considered as the Town reviews Comcast’s upcoming application for the cable television license renewal. In December, we concluded the information gathering process or “Ascertainment” for our current provider, Comcast. The Committee sought the input of the town’s stake holders culminating with the ascertainment hearing held at the Town Hall on November 26, 2007 followed by a 30 day Public Comment period. A tremendous turnout at that meeting that lasted over two hours showed the importance of cable television and local access programming to the Randolph community. Many State and local officials, business people and Randolph citizens spoke up or submitted letters in favor of Randolph Community Television and its high quality local programming like town meetings and event coverage. That ascertainment meeting paved the way for the committee to focus on the needs and wants of the community and its business leaders for coming deliberations with Comcast. The Cable Advisory Committee expects to meet the renewal deadline of October 30, 2008, with a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen for a contract that will be beneficial to all Randolph cable TV subscribers for many years to come in the new digital world.