Lambertville is mulling renewal of the cable company’s franchise.
By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — Don’t mess with Channel 10.
That’s what the City Council told Comcast representatives Monday during a public hearing to discuss the renewal of the cable company’s franchise.
Residents, especially senior citizens, are upset because the company removed Philadelphia news station WCAU from the Channel 10 slot during a realignment on Nov. 1, said David Burd, of the city’s Cable Television Advisory Committee.
”Our seniors with limited income don’t want to spend $5 more for a different package to be able to access it,” he said.
Customers still can get WCAU if they have a digital box. It has been moved to channel 252. But the digital box will cost them about $5 more per month.
Councilwoman Cynthia Ege estimated about 30 percent of residents are still analog customers, and many of them are parents who rely on WCAU for information about school closings in bad weather.
”There are seniors and others who can’t afford to go digital,” Mrs. Ege said. “Channel 10 is crucial to them.”
Comcast “recognizes channel changes can be a discomfort,” said James Mallon, the company’s area manager of government affairs. But, he added, the decision was a business-based one.
Seventy percent of Comcast’s customers are digital, and they are clamoring for more content, which led to the removal of WCAU from the lineup, he said.
Pretty soon, the other two Philly news stations also will go the way of Channel 10, accessible only through a digital box, according to Barry Taylor, area director of government and community affairs for Comcast.
”The whole world is going digital, one way or another,” Mr. Taylor said.
To ease the transition, customers can get a digital box free for a year under a current Comcast promotion, he said.
But what happens after the year is up? That’s what officials wanted to know.
”What happens after a year is unknown to me at this point,” Mr. Taylor said.
The Federal Communications Commission aligned Hunterdon County with the New York area, and New Jersey customers can view three news stations local to New York City.
But Jersey’s response is “fuhgeddaboutit.” They don’t want to watch New York television stations.
The New York stations only come to Lambertville when there’s a big story, according to Mayor David Del Vecchio.
”Without a flood, they’re not here,” he said. “Channel 10 has been very good to us about getting the news out whenever we’ve had a problem.”
Philly’s WCAU has Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, the most accurate weatherman, Mrs. Ege said.
WCAU also has Howard Eskin, a favored sports commentator, Councilman Frank Kramer said.
Mr. Burd called the issue “mission critical” and “sacred ground” for Lambertville.
”It’s pretty clear we would like Channel 10,” Mayor Del Vecchio said.
Mr. Taylor agreed to “converse with the folks back home about the Channel 10 issue.”
The discussion will continue when the public hearing resumes Nov. 19.