| Cable TV - Generally |
| 1. |
What cable companies currently provide service in the City of Hoover? |
| 2. |
What services can I get from the cable companies in Hoover? |
| 3. |
How much does the cable company charge for cable services in Hoover? |
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| Cable TV Competition |
| 1. |
Why do city officials allow a cable monopoly to exist in Hoover? |
| 2. |
Why can’t city officials get some cable competition in Hoover? |
| 3. |
BellSouth offers cable services in neighboring Vestavia Hills – why can’t city officials get BellSouth to provide cable services in Hoover? |
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| Cable TV Contacts |
| 1. |
How can I contact the cable company to request service or assistance? |
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| Cable TV Problems |
| 1. |
I’m having trouble with my cable services – how can I get them resolved? |
| 2. |
My cable company is not providing good service and is not responding to my service needs – can the City of Hoover do something about that? |
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| Cable TV Rates & Fees |
| 1. |
Why does Hoover let the cable companies keep raising their rates? |
| 2. |
What are Franchise Fees and why do I have to pay them? |
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| Cable TV Regulation |
| 1. |
Who regulates the cable companies – does the City of Hoover? |
| 2. |
What is a franchise agreement? |
| 3. |
Why did Hoover allow Charter to takeover the AT&T cable system in Hoover? |
| 4. |
Isn’t the City of Hoover currently negotiating with Charter for the renewal of their cable franchise agreement? |
| 5. |
I’m unhappy with my cable company – can’t city officials terminate the franchise renewal negotiations and negotiate a new franchise agreement with another cable company? |
| 6. |
When does the BrightHouse Networks (formerly Time-Warner) franchise agreement expire and what is the city doing about its renewal? |
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| Cable TV - Generally |
| Q. |
What cable companies currently provide service in the City of Hoover? |
| A. |
Charter Communications provides cable services within approximately 99% of the Hoover city limits. The “Lake Cyrus” and “Russet Glen Garden Homes” areas of Hoover are, however, served by another cable services provider – Bright House Networks. Both of these cable companies are among the nations five largest cable system operators.
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| Q. |
What services can I get from the cable companies in Hoover? |
| A. |
In addition to basic and expanded basic video programming services, the cable companies in Hoover offer premium channels (such as HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax), Pay-Per-View movies and events, digital cable services, and cable modem internet access services. Video-on-demand services are now offered in some areas of Hoover and will be available to other areas soon. High Definition Television (HDTV) is also now offered within Hoover.
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| Q. |
How much does the cable company charge for cable services in Hoover? |
| A. |
Rates and fees vary depending on the cable company and their current pricing policies. When you subscribe to their services and, at least annually thereafter, the cable company should provide information to you about your services, how much they cost, and how to contact them to change services or inquire about their charges.
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| Cable TV Competition |
| Q. |
Why do city officials allow a cable monopoly to exist in Hoover? |
| A. |
The City of Hoover does not have an exclusive deal with one cable company and Hoover’s city officials do not desire to have an exclusive deal with just one cable service provider. Two companies, in fact, already have franchise agreements that allow them to provide cable services throughout the entire Hoover city limits. Those companies have chosen, however, not to compete “head-to-head” with each other. In the past, there have been as many as four cable companies operating in Hoover. Mergers and acquisitions have, however, reduced that number to two (2) cable companies (Charter and Bright House Networks). Furthermore, federal law prohibits exclusive cable franchise agreements.
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| Q. |
Why can’t city officials get some cable competition in Hoover? |
| A. |
City officials are doing everything possible to create an environment conducive to cable competition. Hoover city officials have spoken to representatives of other cable companies about the possibility of providing cable services, competitively, in Hoover. Those cable companies have not, thus far, expressed an interest in making the investment in cable infrastructure needed to provide cable services to sufficient numbers in Hoover. City officials are continuing, to work, though, to attract cable competition to our area.
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| Q. |
BellSouth offers cable services in neighboring Vestavia Hills – why can’t city officials get BellSouth to provide cable services in Hoover? |
| A. |
Hoover city officials have spoken to representatives of BellSouth about that possibility. BellSouth’s Vestavia Hills cable operation is or was part of a “trial” for that company to determine the feasibility and profitability of owning and operating cable systems. Additional trials were conducted in suburban communities near Atlanta, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee, too. BellSouth has not, however, made a commitment to providing cable services throughout Hoover nor other communities in this area.
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| Cable TV Contacts |
| Q. |
How can I contact the cable company to request service or assistance? |
| A. |
Charter Communications (formerly Marcus, AT&T, TCI, and Mt. Brook Cable)
Address: 4601 Southlake Pkwy.; Hoover, AL 35244
Phone: (205) 733-8778
Bright House Networks (formerly AOL, Time-Warner, and Birmingham Cable)
Address: 6429 1st Avenue South; Birmingham, AL 35212
Phone: (205) 591-6880
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| Cable TV Problems |
| Q. |
I’m having trouble with my cable services – how can I get them resolved? |
| A. |
Please try contacting your cable company first. Your cable company is required to restore cable service outages that affect large service areas within 24 hours after they receive their first notification of the problem. Troubles that impact small service areas or just one home might take longer. Of course, you will not really know the extent that the service area is affected so it is recommended that you call your cable company’s customer service number whenever a problem occurs. If the cable company is not able to resolve the problem in a timely manner, please contact the Hoover Cable Hotline, (205) 444-7575, or send an e-mail message to supportservices@ci.hoover.al.us.
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| Q. |
My cable company is not providing good service and is not responding to my service needs – can the City of Hoover do something about that? |
| A. |
Yes, Hoover city staff can help resolve problems on a case-by-case basis. We also monitor and analyze complaints, determine if there are trends or patterns of problems, and convey that information along with our recommendations to the cable company. Customer service standards have been enacted by the City of Hoover to help ensure that cable operators are meeting their obligations to Hoover citizens. A formal complaint may be filed with city officials. In such cases, city officials will conduct a thorough investigation of the matter and initiate formal proceeding that will allow the cable operator a reasonable opportunity to rebut claims and cure defects. The city may impose actions and fines against cable operators when matters are not resolved satisfactorily and in a timely manner.
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| Cable TV Rates & Fees |
| Q. |
Why does Hoover let the cable companies keep raising their rates? |
| A. |
Hoover is exercising its regulatory authority over basic rates, equipment, and service fees to the maximum extent allowed by federal law. By federal law, Hoover is permitted to regulate the rates for only the basic levels of cable service and certain equipment and service fees. Regulation of expanded-basic, premium, digital, and cable modem services by any federal, state, or local government agency is prohibited by federal law.
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| Q. |
What are Franchise Fees and why do I have to pay them? |
| A. |
“Franchise Fees” are negotiated fees that local governments charge an entity for their use of the public rights-of-way. As is the case in Hoover, franchise fees are typically computed as a percentage of the entity’s gross revenues within the local government’s jurisdiction. Thus, franchise fees are, in some respects, similar to business license fees. They differ, however, in that other area businesses do not disclose their license fee charges on customer statements and store receipts when a consumer purchases a good or service from that business. Cable companies are allowed by federal law to itemize their franchise fees on cable customer statements. Federal law also stipulates that the maximum franchise fees charge by a local government is 5% of the cable company’s gross revenues from their operation within the local government’s jurisdiction.
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| Cable TV Regulation |
| Q. |
Who regulates the cable companies – does the City of Hoover? |
| A. |
The City of Hoover has limited regulatory authority over the cable companies that operate here. Some of that authority comes from federal law. Other authority was stipulated within a “Franchise Agreement” that the City and each cable company entered into. Local government regulatory powers have, generally, diminished since the enactment of the “Cable Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992” by the U.S. Congress. The “Telecommunications Act of 1996” has also placed some limitations on local government regulatory powers, though, less specifically to cable operations. The State of Alabama Public Service Commission does not exercise any regulatory authority over cable companies within Alabama. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has some regulatory authority over cable companies but limits that authority to issues that are national in scope. The FCC, generally, refers inquiries and complaints about local cable issues to local franchising authorities, such as the City of Hoover.
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| Q. |
What is a franchise agreement? |
| A. |
A franchise agreement allows an entity, such as a cable company, to use the public rights-of-way under certain terms and conditions within a franchise area, such as Hoover city limits. From franchise agreement to franchise agreement, those terms and conditions may be many and varied. Local governments usually enter into franchise agreements with utility, telecommunications, and cable companies. Because federal laws have reduced the role of the federal government in regulating cable operations, local franchise agreements are now the major source of government regulatory authority today.
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| Q. |
Why did Hoover allow Charter to takeover the AT&T cable system in Hoover? |
| A. |
Hoover city officials did not approve the sale of the AT&T cable operation to Charter Communications. The AT&T-Charter franchise transfer request was, in fact, denied by city officials. However, the sale of the AT&T operation took place over the city’s objections and the city was powerless to stop it.
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| Q. |
Isn’t the City of Hoover currently negotiating with Charter for the renewal of their cable franchise agreement? |
| A. |
Negotiations between Hoover city officials and Charter Communications are progressing. The Charter franchise agreement was originally set to expire on June 3, 2001, but has been extended several times while informal negotiations between Charter and City officials take place. Charter hopes to negotiate an agreement that will allow them to continue providing services within Hoover. City officials, on the other hand, hope to develop an agreement that will ensure that Hoover citizens are able to enjoy technologically-advanced, high-quality cable services and that they will be reasonably priced. Furthermore, city officials have an obligation to make sure that all cable companies in Hoover use the public rights-of-way properly. Hoover officials are also committed to making sure that all cable companies operating in Hoover meet or exceed strict customer service standards as well as technical and service-related requirements that federal law has charged the city with administering. .
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| Q. |
I’m unhappy with my cable company – can’t city officials terminate the franchise renewal negotiations and negotiate a new franchise agreement with another cable company? |
| A. |
Hoover city officials cannot simply terminate the franchise renewal negotiations. By federal law, incumbent cable operators are entitled to receive an award of a franchise renewal unless certain events and formal proceedings have occurred. Hoover city officials are prepared, however, to undertake those proceedings if informal negotiations do not lead successfully to a new franchise agreement. Furthermore, city officials hope that the presence of multiple cable companies (i.e. head-to-head competition) would allow market forces to cause service quality to increase and prices to decrease.
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| Q. |
When does the BrightHouse Networks (formerly Time-Warner) franchise agreement expire and what is the city doing about its renewal? |
| A. |
City officials and Bright House Networks (formerly known as AOL/Time-Warner) officials have extended their franchise agreement until May 3, 2006. The original expiration date was May 7, 2002. City officials hope to begin informal negotiations with Bright House Networks very soon. Much of the “ground work” for these negotiations has already been done and might be affected, somewhat, by the progress and/or results of the Charter franchise renewal process.
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