LETTERS: URGE CITY COUNCIL TO SEEK TV SURVEY

To the editor:

Recently there has been much attention in the media about changes to the cable-TV system in this area. Initially, Charter Communications indicated it had plans to introduce new channels to some of its subscribers. Later it was reported that the Cape Girardeau's Cable TV Advisory Board had recommended to the City Council that it require Charter Communications to survey cable subscribers about a variety of matters including service quality, public-access channels and channel choices.

It is important to consider that the Cable TV Advisory Board had been working for months to develop a proposed survey to provide to the City Council. Upon Charter's announcement that new things were coming to its system between now and the first of the year, the advisory board seized the opportunity to send its recommendation to the City Council to conduct the survey now.

As many are aware, Charter operates in Cape Girardeau and many other municipalities through contracts with the municipality called franchise agreements. In the Cape Girardeau agreement, Charter is required to conduct two surveys in five years with no more than one survey every two years. Should the City Council wish to request it, Charter could conduct a survey over the summer before some of its changes.

Through the recommendation of the advisory board, the City Council has been provided with a desire to conduct the survey, a draft of a survey to use and a schedule to implement the survey. All that is left for the City Council to do is give careful consideration to the matter and request that Charter conduct the survey.

Some have argued that it would be in the city's best interest to wait and see what Charter gives us before we submit the survey to the subscribers to see whether they like it or not. However, like one who would rather read the menu first and order what I wanted rather than wait for the chef to make what he thought was best and serve it to me, now is the best time to conduct the survey. The franchise agreement between Charter and the city allows the people to order what they want.

Charter's options in response to this order are simple: either provide it or show the city why it can't do the survey. It makes perfect sense to ask what the people of Cape Girardeau want before the change is made. The people of Cape Girardeau can ask for what they want by having the opportunity to respond to the survey.

The City Council is scheduled tonight to ask Charter to conduct the survey or let the people of Cape Girardeau remain silent. I would encourage each of you to contact your ward councilman and request that your voice be heard. You have the opportunity to be the agent of change and get out of your cable system what you want. This is simply done by encouraging your councilman to request the survey, then respond to the survey once it arrives at your door.

DANIEL H. RAU

Member

Cable TV Advisory Board

Cape Girardeau, Mo.