MANCHESTER – A Comcast representative updated the public on the contract negotiation with the town while residents gave their opinion on the service.
Robert Clifton, the senior director for government affairs for Comcast, came out to a recent Township Council meeting to update people on services and on a direction for local officials to go. Clifton is also a member of the State Assembly, representing District 12.
“Manchester Township is very unique in New Jersey in that it has not one but two cable franchises with Comcast, one that covers Crestwood Village and one that covers the rest of the municipality. We ended the three-year mandatory process for the renewal,” Clifton said.
“The Crestwood Village agreement expired in August of 2021 and the township’s expired in March of this year,” he said.
“What we are seeking here is a consent ordinance, which is nothing more than a simple right of way agreement that allows us to run our cable plant along the municipal right of way. Most importantly it is not exclusive, which means that any cable provider could come to the municipality and seek the same rights that we are to offer service,” Clifton added.
He noted that another cable vendor’s plan would have to be judged on its own merits. The COA (Certificate of Approval) is granted not by Manchester but by the Board of Public Utilities and “that is granted after your negotiations with a consent ordinance and it is sent to the BPU for their review.”
The Comcast Building that houses NBC at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC. (Photo by Jason Allentoff)
Once that document is adopted by the BPU, Comcast would have approval to serve the township but another issue is that this agreement only covers cable television service. It does not cover internet service and it doesn’t cover phone service which are other services offered.
Clifton said internet services are not regulated by the state or federal government but the phone companies are regulated under another division within the BPU “and is basically out of municipal consent.”
He added that there were four criteria involved to deny or renew the franchise: whether the firm was suppling the needs of the community, whether the current operator followed the terms of the agreement, does the company have the financial, legal and technical ability to provide those needs and is the renewal proposal realistic to providing current needs.
“After the current hearing ends we will send a draft ordinance with our terms in it for council review,” Clifton said. He noted that two items were not negotiable by the governing body and they included cable TV rates which are controlled by federal statute and the channel lineup because it is protected under the First Amendment.
Resident Frank Camposano asked about municipal channels and wondered if Comcast could provide the equipment needed to provide for that request.
Resident Nancy Riker said she was satisfied with the services that are offered but noted “everything is tied to the internet. The only thing I have a problem with is the cost. It is so expensive and we’re on fixed incomes”
Resident Gerard McCann recommended for the Council to “have other public meetings with the citizens to find out what their feelings are about the renewal of the Comcast contract. They can look at the last one which was for 10 years ago and that one was kind of excessive because there really isn’t a lot of competition on the western side of town. You either use them or you go without. It is almost a monopoly over there.”
Whiting resident Darrel Dorofy said, “We don’t have internet where I am. It feels like we have been forgotten. Everyone has sketchy satellite service. I think Comcast is our solution. If any of you guys can help spearhead that, it would be greatly appreciated.”
Resident Gail Apgar was told if she wanted to get her two Xfinity boxes, she would have to go to the Comcast office herself. She also noted that “since we are paying astronomical prices it can be bundled to what we want”
“I did go down to the office on Hooper Avenue (Toms River) to get my bill lowered by giving up my phone (service). No one there knew how to do that. Maybe some training to help them help us would be good,” Apgar added.
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