Cable Provider

Comcast Digital Enhancement

Comcast is going to be digitally enhancing its cable system in our community. Company representatives have visited us to provide information on what this means to cable viewing and our residents.

Comcast customers who will be affected by this digital network enhancement have started receiving information from Comcast on what actions they will need to take to retain the channels they currently view. Standard Basic channels (channels 29-72), will be converted to a digital transmission to improve picture quality and sound, and to allow Comcast to provide more digital and High Definition (HD) programming, larger video on demand (VOD) libraries, faster Internet speeds and other innovative advanced services.

Customers with only Limited Basic service (channels 2-24, 95, 96, 99) are not affected by Comcast's digital network enhancement. Customer television sets which already have Comcast digital equipment connected will not be affected by this change. In addition, Customers having a digital QAM tuner television will not be affected until the completion of the project.

Comcast is offering customers who now receive Standard Basic channels and do not have any digital equipment, one digital receiver and up to two digital transport adapters (DTAs) at no additional cost. This equipment will allow customers to continue seeing the programming they currently receive, at no additional cost for the first 3 TV sets (national average is 2.8 TV sets per household). Instructions on how to obtain this equipment have been mailed to all affected customers.

For more information, or to see if you will be affected, please call 877.634.4434.

The first Bloomfield Township cable franchise was a locally approved franchise with Booth Communications in the early 1980's. That franchise was transferred to MediaOne in 1999, and then to Comcast in 2000. This franchise was always non-exclusive, meaning that any cable provider who wished to do business in Bloomfield Township could apply for a franchise. Unfortunately, no other cable provider chose to compete and for years Township residents had no choice in cable TV services.

In 2007, following state legislation that established the Uniform State Video franchise, (P.A. 480) AT&T applied for a state franchise to offer video services in Bloomfield Township. According to law, that franchise was approved in April 2007.

P.A. 480 places the responsibility for resolving consumer complaints concerning cable service with the Michigan Public Service Commission. For details on the complaint resolution process see the MPSC Consumer Alert.

Unlike our local franchise, P.A. 480 does not require a cable or video provider to service every home in a community. Therefore, while Comcast provides cable service throughout all of Bloomfield Township, AT&T selectively provides service to parts of the Township and not others. This is allowed by law and Bloomfield Township cannot regulate it For details on Bloomfield Township's attempts to encourage cable competition and to keep its local franchise, see the Resolutions at the end of this section.

If you would like to know if AT&T's video service is available at your home, call the customer service number, 800.288.2020, or see the AT&T website.

To contact Comcast call 877.266.2278 or visit the Comcast website.

Public Education and Government (PEG) Channels and Cable/Video Providers

Bloomfield Community Television (BCTV) produces approximately 500 local programs a year. (To see more about programs, see the Overview page and/or the Program Schedule.)

All of these programs are carried on the Comcast cable system, Channel 15 in Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills.

At this time, these programs are NOT carried on AT&T’s U-verse video system. If you subscribe to U-verse, you will not receive BCTV, Bloomfield Township’s locally produced Public, Education and Government (PEG) programming. This is because of three reasons. First, AT&T requires municipalities to bear the cost of transmitting the channel to AT&T. The cost would have to cover a major equipment purchase initially and ongoing monthly transmission expenses.

Second, U-verse does not give PEG programs their own channels. PEG channels from all over the tri-county area are grouped together on a computer application that is technically inferior to all the other channels. The technical quality of BCTV’s programs would be degraded.

Third, because of the way U-verse is engineered, a viewer cannot get to a PEG channel by simply surfing or going up or down the channel lineup. The viewer must select a number in the U-verse lineup, scroll through a drop-down menu, select the desired channel from a list from other communities, then wait almost 20 seconds for the program to load. We believe this process will discourage people from watching BCTV’s programs.

Resolutions

Cable Resolution
Cable Franchising Resolution
Cable Local Resolution
Cable Open For Business Resolution

Charter Township of Bloomfield
4200 Telegraph Road
P.O. Box 489
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0489
248.433.7700
All information © 2010 Bloomfield Township, Michigan

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