Gettysburg Borough to Host Public Hearing on COMCAST Cable Franchise

Gettysburg Borough to Host Public Hearing on COMCAST Cable Franchise

As the municipal franchise holder for COMCAST Cable, the Gettysburg Borough Council has scheduled a public hearing to be held at the Charlie Sterner Building on Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 7:00 PM. The Charlie Sterner Building is located at the Gettysburg Area Recreation Authority (GARA), 545 Long Lane, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

The purpose of the hearing is to give Borough residents an opportunity to comment on the operation of COMCAST Cable (also known as Xfinity) within the Borough. Council members are interested in learning if residents are satisfied with their cable service and, if not, how it can be improved, and to identify other cable needs the Borough may have in consideration of a renewal franchise agreement. A representative from COMCAST will be present to hear the public’s comments.

Community Media of South Central PA (formerly ACTV), which provides local programing to cable subscribers, as well as through streaming from their website, will also present information about their services and the cable fees available to fund their operation. Community Media is a P.E.G. (Public, Education and Government) Channel under the Cable Communication Policy Act passed by Congress in 1984. The Act allows local governments to require that cable systems "provide adequate assurance that the cable operator will provide adequate public, educational, and government access channel capacity, facilities or financial support".

The Borough’s 12-year Cable Franchise Agreement with Comcast will end in 2020. According to Council President Susan Naugle, "the Public Hearing is one of the first steps in a process to renew the agreement. Hearing the opinions and experiences of residents about the accessibility, operation and cost of cable services will assist the Borough as it determines if changes to the franchise agreement are needed."

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