SCOTT CITY COUNCIL STUDIES SERVICE OF FALCON CABLE TV AS CONTRACT EXPIRES

SCOTT CITY -- Residents of Scott City are less than happy with their cable service, and the city council is trying to do something about it.

A 15-year-contract between the city and Falcon Cable Television expired in December. Falcon pressed the city to sign another longterm contract; Scott City has other ideas.

In January, the council extended its contract with Falcon for one year - ample time to give Falcon time to come up with a better service package or for Scott City to find another supplier.

There are several things the city demands of its cable supplier before it will agree to another contract.

"There's no service representative in this town," said Ladonna Phelps, Ward 1 councilwoman and member of the city council's Cable Television Committee. "If we have a problem, we have to try to get hold of someone in the (Falcon Cable) office in Sikeston. Then we may get help eventually."

"There have also been complaints about people getting new service and the workers just letting the cable lay out in their front yard for months before burying it," she said.

At the last meeting of the city Cable Television Committee on Feb. 9, a representative from Falcon attended and heard the city's complaints about service.

"At first he tried to tell us that his company is losing money on us and that they are keeping us on out of the goodness of their hearts," Phelps said. "But how can that be? They haven't laid any new cable, nor have they updated the equipment in the last few years. Where's the loss?"

When the representative was bombarded by complaints and was grilled for answers to the cable problem, he declined any further comment but asked to be allowed to attend the next cable committee meeting, Phelps said.

Fred Lang, chairman of the cable committee, said that he expects the Falcon representative to bring the financial reports showing Scott City's cost to the company to the next committee meeting.

Meanwhile, the city is passively seeking an alternative cable company. The council has expressed interest in a city in Arkansas that has taken over its own cable services and is able to provide service and channels competitive with other companies at a much lower price.

Paragould, Ark. - a city of 11,000 people - has two cable companies competing within its city limits and boasts some of the lowest rates in the region.

Paragould offers its residents basic cable for $9.50 a month and extended basic for $12.50 - about half the rate Falcon charges.

"Our prices have raised steadily over the past 15 years, but our service hasn't changed," Phelps said. "That's just not right."

But Lang said that the city will allow Falcon to make an offer.

"It's up to them," Lang said. "They're going to have to convince us that we should renew our contract."

In addition, Scott City Mayor Larry Forhan sent a letter in December to the Federal Communications Commission - the first step to in the application process to serve as a regulatory body for the cable company. Falcon is currently operating under no local regulatory commission.

The next meeting of the Scott City Cable Television Committee and Falcon will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall. All those who are interested may attend.