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<br /> Cable Company Franchise W\~\OY}
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<br /> Renewal Proposal
<br /> At its August 1997 meeting, the North Suburban Cable Commission voted to recommend approval of the franchise rene",.,1 proposal from
<br /> Meredith Cable to its member cities, Once the final franchise ordinance embodying the proposal is drafted, it will be taken to the dties for their approval.
<br /> The current franchises expire in November 1997.
<br /> Responding to the needs assessment conducted last year by the Cabie Commission, the company has proposed to upgrade the currem 450 MHz,
<br /> 65-channel system to 750 MHz using hybrid fiber-coaxial cabie architecture, The company plans to offer 81 channels of analog video programming and
<br /> reseIVe 200 MHz for additional video channels and digital seIVices. In addition to enabling the company to offer more programming seIVices, the new system
<br /> will provide cable subscribers with higher signal quality and more reliability.
<br /> Assuming approval of the franchise by the cities, construction of the new system is expected to begin next spring,
<br /> Proposal Summary
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<br /> Subscriber System Upgrade Commitment to Community Television
<br /> -The subscriber system will be upgraded from the current 450 The company will continue to comply with existing agreements
<br /> MHz, 65 Channel system to a 750 MHz system, Initially, the company will regarding suppon for community television, including:
<br /> activate 550 MHz for 81 channels of analog video channels. The remaining . Agreeing to maintain the current number (12) of community
<br /> 200 MHz will be reseIVed for additional video channels and digital seIVices. access channels. Further the Cable Commission will retain control over the
<br /> tis will mean that the Cable Commission will be able to reclaim loaned entire 6 Mhz of spectrum that currently equals one video channel. This will
<br /> .'.munity channels from the company, become vet)' imponant when digital compression technology ~ introduced
<br /> -The system will be rebuilt using a hybrid fiber-coaxial cable because it will give the Cable Commission/C1V comrol over whether to com-
<br /> architecture, The fiber will initially be raken down to nodes of approximately press the signal and by how much.
<br /> 2,000 homes with a minimum 16 fiber count, but the nodes will be designed . Maintaining its financial support of community television, which
<br /> to be capable of migrating to 500 homes with a minimum four fiber count as includes the operating grant for C1V North Suburbs, the annual $50,000
<br /> digital seIVices are provided, The increased use of fiber, along with improve- Equipment Replacement Grant, and the Scholarship Granr, which may nnw
<br /> ments in the electronics in the system, wH\ give subscribers more reliability be used for student internships, The company also agreed to provide an
<br /> and higher signal quality. additional 1667,286 for equipment replacements nver the 15-year life of the
<br /> - The system will no longer use "channel mapping" for the Basic franchise, beginning with 140,000 in the first year and increasing by 1.5%
<br /> programming seIVices, so that all of the local VHF broadcast signals will be each year thereafter. This additional equipment funding will help defray the
<br /> Incated "on channel" for all customers, regardless of whether they use a con. cost nf replacing Van 1 and the DiTech switcher in Masrer Control and of
<br /> vener box or nor. For example, if ynu have a cable-ready televisinn and do making the transition to digital editing and playback equipment.
<br /> not use a convener, WCCO-Channel 4 is located on channel 28 of the cable
<br /> system, The purpose for channel mapping is to avoid problems caused when Institutional Network
<br /> the over.the.air broadcast signal leaks into the cable system. The use of fiber "The company will add to and improve electronic equipment on
<br /> optics and the need for fewer signal amplifiers makes channel mapping the existing coaxial institutional network to increase its performance and
<br /> unnecessary. reliability,
<br /> . The company will interconnect this cable system with other - In addition, four fibers on the subscriber network will be
<br /> commonly owned, adjacent systems in the metro area This wHl enable pro- reserved for use by public institutions, including cities, schools, and libraries,
<br /> gram sharing and other kinds of communication with other access facilities, - The company has also agreed to meet mutually acceptable tech.
<br /> such as rhe Ramsey;Washington Cabie Commission (Suburban Community nical and performance standards for tbe Institutional Network
<br /> Channels).
<br /> -The company plans to begin design and "walkout" and to pull High Speed Data Transmission
<br /> emits withing 90 days nf the approval of the new franchise, The iment is to
<br /> - In addition to traditional video seIVices, rhe sysrem will be capa-
<br /> complete the projecr by November 30, 2000, although they will aggressively
<br /> work to subStantially compiete construction by November 30, 1999, ble of providing high speed data seIVices to business users,
<br /> -Coralie Wilson
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