what does philadelphia need from our comcast cable franchise?
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8/13/2019 What does Philadelphia need from our Comcast Cable Franchise?
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What Does
Philadelphia
Need From OurComcast Cable
Franchise?
by
A Guide to Philadelphias Initial Comcast Cable
Franchise Survey and Comment Form
Media Mobilizing Project, February 2014
http://www.mediamobilizing.org,[email protected]
(215) 821-9632
he Comcast Center under construction before its opening in June 2008. The outline next to it represents
e new tower Comcast plans to build in Center City, Philadelphia beginning in Summer 2014.
http://www.mediamobilizing.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.mediamobilizing.org/ -
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WHAT IS THE CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL PROCESS AND WHY
DOES IT MATTER TO OUR COMMUNITIES?
Philadelphia has a rare opportunity to speak out for the resources we need from
corporations like Comcast, if these companies want the right to deliver services in
Philadelphia and to profit off our communities. While Philly schools are broke, business
is booming for Comcast, partly because of a franchise agreementone that is highly
favorable for Comcastwhich the company signed with the city.
While Verizon builds out cable service in the city, Comcast is currently the City of
Philadelphias major cable provider; holding a franchise to sell us cable service in all 4 of
the Citys franchise areas. Comcast signs special contracts with the City, called
f ranchise agreements, in order to be allowed to provide cable service in Philadelphia.
These franchise agreements give Comcast access to the public rights-of-way under
our streets where they lay cables, for examplethat they need to provide cable television
in our homes. In exchange for access to our public rights of way, the City of Philadelphia
negotiates a deal with Comcast to provide money into our public coffers, as well as
certain community benefits, that stay in place for fifteen years.
As our Citys franchise agreements with Comcast expire in 2015, the City is
engaging in a public needs assessment process to see what Philadelphians want to
negotiate for in this franchise. This public comment period and survey will likely be
followed byup to three public hearings and more opportunities to be heard.
Community input has begun with a public survey and comment form hosted at the
Citys Office of Innovation and Technology site, forany Philly residents to fill out.
Both the public survey and the short comment formare
here: www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspx
Philadelphia stands as a canary in the coalmine for dozens of American cities strugglingto survive in the wake of the economic crisis. In 2013, Philadelphia was the poorest of
Americas ten largest cities1. The percentage of city workers living in poverty has
1Poverty dips in city, but need for food stamps rises.Philadelphia Inquirer, September 20th, 2013.http://articles.philly.com/2013-09-20/news/42222047_1_poverty-rate-poverty-dips-food-stamps
Tina Kluetmeier, a mother of two in
Philadelphia, protested corporate tax
breaks at the Comcast Center. (Photo
by Kimberly Paynter, WHYY, taken
from
http://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fig
t-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-
funding-bologna-sandwiches
http://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspxhttp://articles.philly.com/2013-09-20/news/42222047_1_poverty-rate-poverty-dips-food-stampshttp://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fight-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-funding-bologna-sandwicheshttp://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fight-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-funding-bologna-sandwicheshttp://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fight-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-funding-bologna-sandwicheshttp://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fight-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-funding-bologna-sandwicheshttp://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fight-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-funding-bologna-sandwicheshttp://thenotebook.org/blog/136270/fight-philly-takes-comcast-philly-school-funding-bologna-sandwicheshttp://articles.philly.com/2013-09-20/news/42222047_1_poverty-rate-poverty-dips-food-stampshttp://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspx -
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doubled since 20072. 24 public schools were closed, and thousands of workers have been
laid off3. Almost 1/3 of Philly residents, primarily the poorest4are offline, with little
ability to advocate or alleviate the crises that bloom when resources disappear.
The City of Philadelphia and Comcast are about to begin the negotiation process to
renew the franchise agreement that expires in 2015. Philadelphia is the fourth biggest
television market in the nation. 2.1 million people in the Philadelphia area subscribe tocable, relying on Comcast for basic news and information, and nationally, Comcast
internet subscriptions rose 64% over the past 6 years5. Comcast profits were $1.91 billion
in the last quarter of 20136, with an over 5% increase in cable subscriptions alone in the
last quarter of 2013. Amidst skyrocketing profits, Comcast fights Philadelphians
basic needsleading and paying the largest amount in lobbying costs to oppose a
campaign to guarantee earned sick days for Philadelphians7, and paying little in
taxes to the city that gives it so much8- a rate of 3.4%, when the average in
Pennsylvania is 9.99%. Comcasts outsized political power in Philadelphia impacts us
dailywith their senior executives encouraging the city to dismantle the school district9,
and contributing millions to both parties in political contributions 10.
Public engagement in the franchise agreement process will help hold Comcast
accountable to provide much needed resources for a city in need. Your voices can help
the city ask for far more for our communications and human rights, if Comcast is to
profit more from our communities.
SPEAK OUT: WHAT DO WE NEED FROM PHILADELPHIAS CABLE
FRANCHISE?
In the last cable franchise negotiation with Comcast, Philadelphia secured:
1.Funds for community access television,PhillyCAM, which supports
community members and non-profits with access to training, equipment,
television studios and cable time slots to air their own local content.
2 City workers in poverty double under Mayor Nutter.Philadelphia Public Record, May 23rd, 2013.http://www.phillyrecord.com/2013/05/city-workers-in-poverty-double-under-mayor-nutter/3 Saying goodbye to 24 Philadelphia schools.Philadelphia Public School Notebook.October 2013.http://thenotebook.org/october-2013/136420/saying-goodbye-24-philadelphia-schools4Ten facts about internet access in Philadelphia, November12th, 2013,http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail_wide.aspx?id=858995188335After 50 years, Comcast still looks forward.Philadelphia Inquirer, November 11th, 2013.http://articles.philly.com/2013-11-11/news/43889689_1_comcast-corp-other-cable-tv-companies-roberts6Comcast halts subscriber losses; NBCUniversal profit soars.Los Angeles Times, January 28th, 2014.http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-comcast-halts-subscriber-losses-nbcuniversal-
profit-soars-20140128,0,557409.story #axzz2rtcKqpDh7Advocates: Comcast is trying to block Phillys paid sick leave law.Metro Philadelphia, March 12th, 2013.http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/news/2013/03/12/advocates-comcast-is-trying-to-block-phillys-paid-sick-leave-law/#sthash.1vv1RUjS.dpuf8Political power and consumer pain in Comcasts Philadelphia. City Paper, March 27th, 2013.http://www.citypaper.net/article.php?Polsitical-Power-and-Consumer-Pain-in-Comcast-s-Philadelphia-120369Pa. budget would help Phila. Schools, Philadelphia Inquirer, July 8th, 2013.http://articles.philly.com/2013-07-08/news/40422968_1_state-budget-city-schools-state-funds10The ten companies making the biggest political donations, July 5th, 2012.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-ten-companies-making-the-biggest-political-donations.html
Chris Fillipone trains new
filmmakers on the storyboarding
process. Community members
were able to build and grow our
public access television station,
PhillyCAM, by organizing around
the public franchise process. What
else could we win in our
communities if we tell the City what
we need from Comcast? (Photo by
Media Mobilizing Project)
http://www.phillyrecord.com/2013/05/city-workers-in-poverty-double-under-mayor-nutter/http://thenotebook.org/october-2013/136420/saying-goodbye-24-philadelphia-schoolshttp://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail_wide.aspx?id=85899518833http://articles.philly.com/2013-11-11/news/43889689_1_comcast-corp-other-cable-tv-companies-robertshttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-comcast-halts-subscriber-losses-nbcuniversal-profit-soars-20140128,0,557409.story#axzz2rtcKqpDhhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-comcast-halts-subscriber-losses-nbcuniversal-profit-soars-20140128,0,557409.story#axzz2rtcKqpDhhttp://www.metro.us/philadelphia/news/2013/03/12/advocates-comcast-is-trying-to-block-phillys-paid-sick-leave-law/#sthash.1vv1RUjS.dpufhttp://www.metro.us/philadelphia/news/2013/03/12/advocates-comcast-is-trying-to-block-phillys-paid-sick-leave-law/#sthash.1vv1RUjS.dpufhttp://www.citypaper.net/article.php?Polsitical-Power-and-Consumer-Pain-in-Comcast-s-Philadelphia-12036http://articles.philly.com/2013-07-08/news/40422968_1_state-budget-city-schools-state-fundshttp://articles.philly.com/2013-07-08/news/40422968_1_state-budget-city-schools-state-fundshttp://articles.philly.com/2013-07-08/news/40422968_1_state-budget-city-schools-state-fundshttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-ten-companies-making-the-biggest-political-donations.htmlhttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-ten-companies-making-the-biggest-political-donations.htmlhttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-ten-companies-making-the-biggest-political-donations.htmlhttp://articles.philly.com/2013-07-08/news/40422968_1_state-budget-city-schools-state-fundshttp://articles.philly.com/2013-07-08/news/40422968_1_state-budget-city-schools-state-fundshttp://www.citypaper.net/article.php?Polsitical-Power-and-Consumer-Pain-in-Comcast-s-Philadelphia-12036http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/news/2013/03/12/advocates-comcast-is-trying-to-block-phillys-paid-sick-leave-law/#sthash.1vv1RUjS.dpufhttp://www.metro.us/philadelphia/news/2013/03/12/advocates-comcast-is-trying-to-block-phillys-paid-sick-leave-law/#sthash.1vv1RUjS.dpufhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-comcast-halts-subscriber-losses-nbcuniversal-profit-soars-20140128,0,557409.story#axzz2rtcKqpDhhttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-comcast-halts-subscriber-losses-nbcuniversal-profit-soars-20140128,0,557409.story#axzz2rtcKqpDhhttp://articles.philly.com/2013-11-11/news/43889689_1_comcast-corp-other-cable-tv-companies-robertshttp://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_report_detail_wide.aspx?id=85899518833http://thenotebook.org/october-2013/136420/saying-goodbye-24-philadelphia-schoolshttp://www.phillyrecord.com/2013/05/city-workers-in-poverty-double-under-mayor-nutter/ -
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2. A yearly disbursement of 5% of cable profits to Philadelphias general
fund,although there is little public input over how its spent . Both of these
things are vital, but Comcast owes Philadelphia more.
We have a chance to share what we want out of the next negotiation now. The more
clear, respectful, well-informed opinions the City can collectthe more likely officials
will be able to ask Comcast for the resources our communities need to thrive.
1) IF YOU ARE A CUSTOMER OF COMCAST, TELL THEM WHAT YOU
THINK OF THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDE. In the survey itself, the City
asks multiple choice and open-ended questions about your experience with
Comcast products and services. Your feedback here helps keep them
accountable in providing increasingly affordable, flexible service you can
use.
If you are not a customer of Comcast, tell them why you choose to not
subscribe. Issues of cost, language accessibility, and Comcasts lack of
accountability to pay their fair share are all fair game to describe.
2) USE THE FREE WRITING BOXES IN THE SURVEY, or JUST FILL
OUT THE SIMPLE COMMENT FORM, to TELL YOUR STORY AS TO
WHY YOU THINK WE NEED MORE FROM COMCAST. The public
comment formand comment boxesin the survey offer space for your personal
reflections and expressions on what Comcast could do for our city. If youre
concerned that Comcasts resources are not being fairly invested in Philadelphia,
consider writing something in the appropriate box.
3) SOME TOPICS TO CONSIDER:
a. Support Local Access ChannelsThe survey asks a series of questions
about local access channels and programming, which Comcast is obligatedto fund as part of its franchise agreement. These are vital community
resources that Comcast has fought and underfunded. PhillyCAM, the Citys
public access TV station, operates a community access media center that
unites people to make and share media for creative expression, democratic
values, and civic participation. Comcast should not discriminate against
local Access Channels with respect to the functionality and signal
quality of those channels as compared to those of the local broadcast
digital format channels carried on the cable system. This includes
transmission of local access channels in HD and making public access
content available On Demand.
b. Expand Affordable Internet AccessAlmost 1/3 of Philly residents areoffline, primarily the poorest. Comcast could create a fund to provide more
free and affordable internet access for poor communities and underfunded
schools. That could support students to learn and workers to seek jobs.
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c. Pay Your Fair Share- Comcasts top executive salaries alone could pay off
the school districts three hundred milliondollar budget deficit in a few
years11. The company earned over $64 billion in revenues in 201312, while
students suffer, Comcast was just awarded forty million in city and state tax
payer dollars to build a second record-setting skyscraper in Center City,
Philadelphia. Instead of draining our resources, Comcast could use more of
its profits to support services for the people of Philadelphia in need.
d. Respect workerrights. Comcast paid over $100,000 in lobbying fees to
oppose a City Council bill that would have expanded access to paid sick
days to hundreds of thousands of us and our neighbors13. The ratio for CEO
pay to average employee pay at Comcast is 370:1,14and few Comcast
workers have the benefits and protections afforded by membership in a
union. Comcast should state its support for its workers, and all workers,
rights to form unions, and support efforts to build dignity for workers.
e. Dont pass on the fee to us. Comcast subscribers pay the franchise fee in
tiny installments every month as a part of their cable bill. If Comcast agrees
to pay its fair share, these extra/supplemental funds should come from their
record profits, not from charging already struggling consumers more, or
taking resources from important Philly services like public access TV.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AND BUILD THE MOVEMENT
Please take some time to complete the survey and fill out the short comment form. The
more people express their voices, the louder well be heard.
Both the public survey and the short comment formare
here. The survey is on top. Scroll down for the comment
form. www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspx
After you complete the form and survey please share this guide with at least five
Philadelphians. You can also get a print copy of the survey at your local Free Library of
Philadelphia branch, and at selected KEYSPOT Public Computer Centers citywide.The
City is hoping to collect as many survey responses and comments as possible by
February 7th
so act fast -though it is likely they will continue to collect comments
throughout the community feedback process. This is the start of an engagement period
where we can shape policy, protect and expand our communitys resources, and hold
Comcast accountable. Make your voice heard! For more information, email
[email protected],visithttp: //www.mediamobilizing.org or call us at (215)
821-9632, and keep checkinghttp:/ /www.phil a.gov/cablefr anchises/ for updates.
11Comcast Execs 2012 Earnings Revealed,Philadelphia Business Journal, April 11th, 2013.http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2013/04/11/comcast-execs-2012-earnings-revealed.html12Comcast 2013 Financial Report, http://www.cmcsa.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=82143813Advocates: Comcast Is Trying To Block Phillys Paid Sick Leave Law,Metro Philadelphia, March 12th,2013. metro.us/philadelphia/news/2013/03/12/advocates-comcast-is-trying-to-block-phillys-paid-sick-leave-law/1413 CEOs Who Get Paid Shockingly More Than Their Employees,Business Insider, March 29th, 2013.http://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-who-get-paid-much-more-than-workers-2013-3?op=1
Audra Traynham and Miguel Esteban
Andrade prepare to host local public
affairs program MMPTV on public
access station PhillyCAM.
http://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspxmailto:[email protected]://www.mediamobilizing.org/http://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2013/04/11/comcast-execs-2012-earnings-revealed.htmlhttp://www.cmcsa.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=821438http://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-who-get-paid-much-more-than-workers-2013-3?op=1http://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-who-get-paid-much-more-than-workers-2013-3?op=1http://www.businessinsider.com/ceos-who-get-paid-much-more-than-workers-2013-3?op=1http://www.cmcsa.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=821438http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2013/04/11/comcast-execs-2012-earnings-revealed.htmlhttp://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/http://www.mediamobilizing.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.phila.gov/cablefranchises/Pages/default.aspx