LACAC Meeting Minutes for April 10, 2012
This was a joint meeting with the Cable License Advisory Committee (CLAC).
Members present: Chris Funkhouser, Bob Glorioso, Lisa Lavina,
Also present: Anne Van Tine, Stow TV Coordinator and CLAC members Arny Buckman and Bob Mong
The Meeting was called to order at 7:35pm
The meeting purpose was to review negotiation points to advise Attorney August in his discussions with Comcast Rep. Tim Kelly. There are three topics to review: Number of channels, Capital allocation for equipment, and Subscriber fees.
Channels
The joint committees ask Atty. August to negotiate two programmable channels in the contract (probably to retain the current channel and convert the Hudson channel to one programmed by Stow TV.) In addition, the asked to retain the ability to view the Bolton channel.
If Comcast refuses to put retention of the Bolton channel into the contract, then the following is asked: to negotiate into the contract that at such time that Verizon offers services in Bolton, and makes a channel available to Stow as is spelled out in theVerizon contract, then Comcast will similarly provide a channel.
Percentages
Comcast’s initial proposal is not tenable, given the cost of managing the station. We are asking Atty. August negotiate the progressive fee structure set forth in Table Z of the spread sheet of various funding scenarios.
Equipment
The committees agreed that the $83,000 match of Verizon’s contribution is the most the town is likely to achieve. The committees ask Atty. August to negotiate for the equipment payment to be made over two years rather than four years as currently proposed. We would also ask that language be added to the contract that Comcast won’t change the technical standards from those in place at signing so as to not render our current equipment obsolete, and should Comcast impose a meaningful change to the technical standards, there will be a negotiated change to the equipment allocation in order to meet the revised technical standards.
Members expressed concern that the Comcast draft removes Section 11.2 on liquidated damages. A small error in Section 4.1.c of the Comcast draft was noted.
Glorioso moved and Funkhouser seconded to adjorn at 8:50pm. The motion passed unanimously.
Prepared by: _________________________________
Lisa Lavina
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