CABLE TELEVISIN SURVEY YARMUTH, MASSACHUSETTS September 2008
UNIVERSITY F MASSACHUSETTS DARTMUTH CENTER FR PLICY ANALYSIS The is a multidisciplinary research unit that promotes economic, social, and political development by providing research and technical assistance to client organizations. The Center for Policy Analysis offers custom designed research and technical analysis in the areas of economic development, public management, program evaluation and polling research for government agencies, non-profit organizations, private businesses, and educational institutions. The strives to erode the walls between research and teaching by training students in the techniques of applied social science and by conducting university and community based educational programs. The does not pursue a predetermined research agenda, but is a flexible research organization responding on a timely basis to the problems and issues identified by client agencies. Clyde W. Barrow, Ph.D., Political Science Director EXECUTIVE BARD David Borges, M.P.A., Public Administration Chris Eisenhart, Ph.D., English John Fobanjong, Ph.D., Political Science Assistant Director/Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate William Hogan, Ph.D., Economics Toby Huff, Ph.D., Sociology Susan Krumholz, J.D., Ph.D., Sociology Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate Spencer Ladd, Ph.D., M.F.A., Design Senior Research Associate Gail Russell, M.S., Ed.D., Nursing Senior Research Associate Robin A. Robinson, Psy.D, Ph.D., Social Welfare Senior Research Associate Shawna E. Sweeney, Ph.D., Political Science Senior Research Associate Jeffrey Robinson, M.P.A., Public Administration Paul Vigeant, M.A., Public Administration Luther Wallin, M.R.P., Regional Planning Adjunct Research Associate Adjunct Research Associate Senior Research Associate EXECUTIVE STAFF David Borges, M.P.A., Public Administration Assistant Director/Senior Research Associate Andrea Davis, B.S., Sociology Assistant to the Director Matthew Hirschy, B.S., Marketing Research Assistant ADJUNCT RESEARCH ASSCIATES Paul Vigeant, M.A., Public Administration SouthCoast Development Partnership Correspondence and inquiries should be addressed to:,, 285 ld Westport Road, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747-2300 (telephone: 508-990-9660; fax: 508-999-8374). Copyright. All rights reserved. Author: David R. Borges, Assistant Director, Website URL: www.umassd.edu/cfpa The information and analysis in this report does not represent an official statement or view of the University of Massachusetts. Polling and Program Evaluation Research Series No. 66
Table of Contents Executive Summary... iii 1.00 Introduction...1 2.00 Methodology...1 2.10 Survey Instrument... 1 2.20 Sampling Procedures... 1 2.30 Analysis of Results... 1 3.00 Results...2 3.10 Cable Competition and Availability of Comcast Cable Television Services... 2 3.11 Cable Competition...2 3.12 Availability of Comcast Cable Television at Home and at Work...3 3.13 Extension of Comcast Cable Services to All Yarmouth Residents and Businesses...4 3.20 Satisfaction with Quality of Comcast Cable TV Services... 5 3.21 Satisfaction with Various Services...5 3.22 Subscriber Contact with Comcast...6 3.30 Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Programming... 8 3.31 How Much Do You Value PEG Programming?...8 3.32 PEG Programming Viewership Levels...9 3.33 Town Meetings Coverage...10 3.34 Additional Community Events Programming...11 3.35 Cape Cod Media Center Public Access Facility...12 3.36 Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment, and Training in Video Production...13 3.40 The Institutional Network ( I-NET )... 14 3.41 Continued Use of the I-Net...14 3.42 Extension of the I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations...15 i
3.50 Comcast Video on Demand and n-screen Interactive Program Guide... 16 3.51 Familiarity with Comcast s Video on Demand and Availability for PEG Programming...16 3.52 Non-Interactive Scrolling Program Guide...17 3.53 Electronic Program Guide...18 3.60 Customer Service ffice... 19 3.70 Ability to verride Programming with Emergency Messages... 20 3.80 Senior Discounts... 21 3.81 Who Should Receive Discount?...21 3.82 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License?...22 3.90 Reason Respondent Does not Subscribe to Comcast Cable and Additional Comments... 23 3.91 Reason Respondent Does Not Subscribe to Comcast Cable...23 3.92 Additional Comments...24 Appendix A Survey Instrument...25 Appendix B Frequencies...33 Appendix C Additional Comments...52 ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cable television service for residents of Yarmouth, Massachusetts is provided by Comcast, Inc. Comcast s existing license to provide cable television service in Yarmouth expires in November of 2009. The results of this mail survey will help the Town determine the viewing patterns, satisfaction levels, and needs of Yarmouth residents with regard to the cable television services provided by Comcast. The results will be considered as the Town: (i) requests services from Comcast for a renewal term and (ii) reviews Comcast s application for a cable television license renewal. Two-thousand (2,000) surveys were mailed to a random sample of Yarmouth households on July 16, 2008. A total of 674 surveys were returned for a response rate of 33.7 percent. Ninetynine percent of respondents (99.7%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live and 91.6 percent (N=611) subscribe to Comcast cable. Forty six percent of respondents are male (46.3%) and 53.7 percent are female. The average age of respondents is 65.3 years. Results of the survey include: Availability of Comcast Cable Television at Home and at Work Nearly all respondents (99.7%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live, while 76.9 percent of subscribers indicate that Comcast is available where they work in Yarmouth. A majority of subscribers support making Comcast cable television service available to all Yarmouth residents and businesses: 90.0 percent of subscribers agree that Comcast cable television service should be made available to all residents, and 67.4 percent of subscribers agree that cable television services should be made available to all Yarmouth businesses. Cable Competition Subscribers were asked if they would like to see other companies provide cable television services in Yarmouth, competing with Comcast. ver eighty-two percent of subscribers (82.6%) would like to see other companies provide cable television services in Yarmouth, while 4.7 percent of subscribers would not like other companies to provide cable television services and 12.7 percent do not know. Subscriber Contact with Comcast Customer Service ver fifty-five percent (55.7%) of subscribers have called customer service to resolve an issue in the past year. The highest percentage of subscribers called for loss of service/signal (31.3%), followed by problems with cable equipment (28.5%), billing problems (20.1%), poor reception (13.9%), and other issues (7.2%). iii
In terms of the average number of times called for each issue, the highest annual average number of times called was for loss of service/signal (2.2 calls annually), followed by poor reception (2.1 calls annually), billing problems (2.0 calls annually), problems with cable equipment (1.9 calls annually), and other issues (1.7 calls annually). Satisfaction with Various Cable Services Subscribers were asked to rate the quality of the various cable TV services they receive on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning poor and 5 meaning excellent. Subscribers are generally satisfied with the services they receive from Comcast, rating each service an average of 3.3 or above: quality of the signal reception (4.3 average), reliability and clarity of billing (4.1 average), reliability of the converter box (4.0 average), quality of customer support personnel (4.0 average), response time of service technicians/repairs (3.9 average), response time on billing inquiries/complaints (3.9 average), consistency of the sound level (3.6 average), amount of time required to reach a customer service representative by telephone (3.3 average), and overall value of cable service/support for the price paid (3.3 average). Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Programming Public, Educational and Government (PEG) programming includes local programs such as government meetings, community events, and school events. Subscribers were asked several questions regarding PEG programming. Subscribers were asked how much they value having access to PEG programming on a scale of highly value, somewhat value, do not value, and do not know. ver a third of subscribers (37.4%) highly value access to PEG programming, while 45.2 percent of subscribers somewhat value access to PEG programming, 13.2 percent do not value access to PEG programming, and 4.2 percent do not know. Nearly seventy percent of subscribers (69.5%) watch at least one of Yarmouth s three PEG channels: 47.4 percent of subscribers indicate that they watch Public Cable Channel 17, 58.3 percent of subscribers indicate that they watch the Government Cable Channel 18, and 40.9 percent of subscribers indicate that they watch Educational Channel 22. iv
More than forty-five percent of subscribers (45.4%) would like to see more community events programming, while 29.6 percent of subscribers would not like to see more community events programming and 24.9 percent of subscribers do not know. Nearly forty percent of subscribers (39.6%) are aware of the Cape Cod Media Center s public access facility, while 60.4 percent of subscribers are not aware of the facility. Nearly two-thirds of subscribers (65.7%) agree that Comcast should continue to provide funding for studio equipment, mobile recording equipment, and training in video production, which enables town residents and staff to produce local programs for cable television, while 10.6 percent of subscribers disagree and 23.7 percent do not know. Subscribers were provided a list of six Town of Yarmouth meetings and asked if they would like to see, or continue to see, these meetings broadcast on cable television. A majority of subscribers indicate that they would like to see four of the six meetings listed on the questionnaire cablecast: Annual and/or Special Town (70.4%), Board of Selectmen (66.1%), Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals (56.3%), School Committee (53.9%), Conservation Commission (45.2%), and ther Board and Committee (38.1%). The Institutional Network ( I-NET ) As part of its current license with the Town, Comcast maintains a separate network for the Town s audio, video and data use, called the I-Net. Subscribers were asked if they would like to see the continued use of the I-Net in Yarmouth. Nearly seventy percent of subscribers (69.6%) would like to see the continued use of the I-Net by the Town, while 6.0 percent of subscribers would not like to see continued use of the I-Net and 24.5 percent of subscribers do not know. As a follow-up question, subscribers were asked if the town should negotiate the extension of the I-Net to additional town buildings and locations acquired since the current I-Net was installed. More than forty-six percent of subscribers (46.4%) agree that the town should negotiate the extension of the I-Net, while 10.1 percent of subscribers disagree and 43.5 percent of subscribers do not know. Comcast Video on Demand Video on Demand (VD) offers programs that are available any time customers want to watch them with the ability to fast forward, rewind, and pause selections. Subscribers were asked if they are familiar with Comcast s Video on Demand service and if they would like PEG programming to be available as Video on Demand. Fifty-eight percent of subscribers (58.1%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Video on Demand and 40.4 percent indicate that they would like PEG programming to be v
available as Video on Demand, while 31.1 percent of subscribers would not like PEG to be available as Video on Demand and 28.4 percent indicate that they do not know. Electronic Program Guide Subscribers were asked if they are familiar with Comcast s Electronic Program Guide and if they would like to have the PEG programming schedule included as part of the Guide. More than third of subscribers (33.6%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Electronic Program Guide and 68.3 percent would like PEG programming to be included as part of the Guide, while 25.7 percent of subscribers would not like PEG programming to be included as part of the Guide and 6.1 percent of subscribers indicate that they do not know. TV Guide Channel Comcast traditionally offered the TV Guide Channel, a non-interactive scrolling program guide on channel 3. Comcast removed the TV Guide Channel in December, 2007 from the Basic Service Tier. ver two-thirds of subscribers (69.2%) believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier, while 12.5 percent of subscribers do not believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel and 18.3 percent do not know. Customer Service ffice Subscribers were asked how strongly they agree or disagree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office, which is located at 10 ld Townhouse Road in South Yarmouth. More than two-thirds of subscribers (69.0%) strongly agree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office, while 18.2 percent of subscribers somewhat agree, 11.3 percent of subscribers neither agree nor disagree, 1.2 percent of subscribers somewhat disagree, and 0.3 percent of subscribers strongly disagree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office. More than half of subscribers (52.7%) visited the customer service office in the past year and made an average of 4.4 visits. Ability to verride Programming with Emergency Messages More than eighty-one percent of subscribers (81.4%) feel that Comcast should provide emergency officials with the ability to override cable programming with emergency messages on all cable system channels, while 5.9 percent of subscribers do not agree and 12.7 percent of subscribers do not know. Senior Discount Subscribers were asked if there should be a discount provided to senior citizens over the age of 65 regardless of need/income level or to senior citizens based on need/income level. ver sixty percent of subscribers (60.8%) feel that a discount should be extended to all seniors regardless of need/income, while 35.3 percent of subscribers indicate that the discount should be based on need/income and 4.0 percent of subscribers do not know. As a follow-up question, subscribers were asked if a senior discount should be part of the Town of Yarmouth s new cable television renewal license. More than eighty-three percent of vi
subscribers (83.2%) indicate that a discount for seniors should be part of the Town of Yarmouth s new cable television renewal license, while 6.9 percent of subscribers disagree and 9.9 percent do not know. Reason Respondent Does Not Subscribe to Comcast Cable Non-subscribers (8.4%, N=56) were asked to indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 why they do not subscribe to Comcast cable, with 1 meaning they strongly disagree and 5 meaning they strongly agree. n average, subscribers most strongly agree that they do not subscribe to Comcast cable because: they use a satellite dish to receive signals (4.6 average), the monthly bill is too high (4.5 average), or the installation cost is too high (4.0 average). Subscribers on average least agree that they do not subscribe to Comcast cable because: Comcast cable is not available on their street (1.4 average) they have no television/do not watch TV (1.5 average), or they use over the air signals only (2.2 average). Additional Comments Subscribers included numerous additional comments. The complete list of these comments can be found in Appendix C, although the major theses, followed by the number of comments, are described below. Comcast is too expensive/verpriced/can t afford rates (N=72). Would like an a-la-carte pricing structure (N=42). Need cable competition in Yarmouth (N=38). Comcast taking away channels and not replacing them or lowering prices accordingly (N=34). Not enough channels / Too many repeated movies (N=24). Should not have to rent each digital box separately - one rental fee (N=19). Comcast provides very consistent service (N=19). Rates are raised too frequently (N=16). Comcast's signal is poor (N=14). Comcast has poor customer service and technical support (N=11). Comcast needs to have more open disclosure on their billing / Bill is due only a couple of days after receipt (N=9). There should be more stations available on basic television (N=9). An available programming guide is needed (N=5). Reduced fee for all seniors (N=4). vii
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1.00 INTRDUCTIN Cable television service for residents of Yarmouth, Massachusetts is provided by Comcast, Inc. Comcast s existing license to provide cable television service in Yarmouth expires in November of 2009. The results of this mail survey will help the Town determine the viewing patterns, satisfaction levels, and needs of Yarmouth residents with regard to the cable television services provided by Comcast. The results will be considered as the Town: (i) requests services from Comcast for a renewal term and (ii) reviews Comcast s application for a cable television license renewal. 2.00 METHDLGY 2.10 Survey Instrument The mail survey was conducted using a survey instrument developed by the Center for Policy Analysis and the Town of Yarmouth in conjunction with the consortium of Cape Cod towns that are collaborating on certain aspects of their respective cable television license renewal processes. A copy of the survey instrument can be found in Appendix A. 2.20 Sampling Procedures Two-thousand (2,000) surveys were mailed to a random sample of Yarmouth households on July 16, 2008, which represents 13.3 percent of the total households in Yarmouth. The target number of responses was 400, or a response rate of 20 percent. The list of households was randomly selected by the Town of Yarmouth using town census records. The mailing was completed by Alphagraphics in New Bedford, MA under the direction of the. The survey packet contained a cover letter from the Town of Yarmouth, the survey instrument, and a pre-paid business reply envelope. Returned surveys were accepted until August 23, 2008, although approximately ninety percent of the surveys were returned within two weeks. 2.30 Analysis of Results The conducted all data entry operations required to input the survey results into Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), one of the most widely used programs for statistical analysis. Basic frequencies were tabulated for each survey question (see Appendix B). 1
3.00 RESULTS A total of 674 surveys were returned by Yarmouth residents for a response rate of 33.7 percent. This response rate is particularly impressive considering that there was no pre-survey mailing to alert households of the forthcoming survey or any follow-up reminders, although the survey was announced in the local weekly newspaper prior to the mailing. Ninety-nine percent of households (99.7%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live and 91.6 percent (N=611) subscribe to Comcast cable. These households pay an average of $68.68 for their cable service, not including Internet or telephone. Forty six percent of subscribers are male (46.3%) and 53.7 percent are female. The average age of subscribers is 65.3 years. 3.10 Cable Competition and Availability of Comcast Cable Television Services 3.11 Cable Competition At the present time, Comcast is the only company providing cable television services to Yarmouth residents. Subscribers were asked if they would like to see other companies provide cable television services in Yarmouth, competing with Comcast. ver eighty-two percent of subscribers (82.6%) would like to see other companies provide cable television services in Yarmouth, while 4.7 percent of subscribers would not like other companies to provide cable television services and 12.7 percent do not know (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Table 1 Would You Like ther Companies to Provide Cable Television Services to Yarmouth Residents? Percent Yes 82.6% No 4.7% Don t Know 12.7% Figure 1 Would you Like to See ther Companies Provide Cable Television Services to Yarmouth Residents? Yes 82.6% No 4.7% Don't Know 12.7% 2
3.12 Availability of Comcast Cable Television at Home and at Work Comcast cable television service is not available to all Yarmouth residents and businesses. Nearly all subscribers (99.7%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live, while 76.9 percent of subscribers indicate that Comcast is available where they work in Yarmouth (see Table 2 and Figure 2). Table 2 Is Cable Television Service from Comcast Available Where You Live and Where You Work in Yarmouth? Available at Home Available at Work 1 Yes 99.7% 76.9% No 0.3% 6.4% Don t Know 0.0% 16.7% 100.0% 75.0% 50.0% Figure 2 Is Cable Television Service from Comcast Available Where You Live and Where You Work in Yarmouth? 99.7% 76.9% Yes No Don t Know 25.0% 0.0% 0.3% 0.0% Available at Home 6.4% Available at Work 16.7% 1 Subscribers who are retired, unemployed, or do not work in Yarmouth are not included in the results. There were 156 subscribers who work in Yarmouth, thus conclusions should be made with caution due to the small number of subscribers for this question. 3
3.13 Extension of Comcast Cable Services to All Yarmouth Residents and Businesses Subscribers were asked if they believe that cable television services should be made available to all Yarmouth residents and businesses, without additional charges to new customers other than standard installation charges. More than ninety percent of subscribers (90.0%) agree that cable television services should be available to all residents and 67.4 percent of subscribers agree that cable television services should be made available to all Yarmouth businesses (see Table 3 and Figure 3).. Table 3 Should Cable Television Services be Available to All Yarmouth Residents and Businesses? Available at Home Available at Work Yes 90.0% 67.4% No 3.7% 10.9% Don t Know 6.3% 21.7% Figure 3 100.0% 75.0% Should Cable Television Services be Available to All Yarmouth Residents and Businesses? 90.0% 67.4% Yes No Don t Know 50.0% 25.0% 0.0% 3.7% 6.3% Available at Home 10.9% Available at Work 21.7% 4
3.20 Satisfaction with Quality of Comcast Cable TV Services 3.21 Satisfaction with Various Services Subscribers were asked to rate the quality of the various cable TV services they receive on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning poor and 5 meaning excellent. Subscribers are generally satisfied with the services they receive from Comcast, rating each service an average of 3.3 or above on the 1 to 5 scale. Subscribers are most satisfied with the quality of the signal reception (4.3 average), followed by the reliability and clarity of billing (4.1 average), the reliability of their converter box (4.0 average), the quality of customer support personnel (4.0 average), the response time on billing inquiries/complaints (3.9 average), the response time of service technicians/repairs (3.8 average), the consistency of the sound level (3.6 average), the amount of time required to reach a customer service representative by telephone (3.3 average), and the overall value of their cable service and support for the price paid (3.3 average) (see Figure 4). Figure 4 Satisfaction with Cable TV Services Average on a Scale of 1 to 5 Quality of signal reception Reliability and clarity of billing Reliability of converter box Quality of customer support personnel Response time on billing inquiries/complaints Response time of service technicians/repairs Consistency of Sound Level 4.3 4.1 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.6 Time to reach a Comcast customer service rep. by phone verall value (of cable service/support) for price paid 3.3 3.3 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 Poor Excellent 5
3.22 Subscriber Contact with Comcast Subscribers were asked how many times they have called Comcast in the past twelve months to resolve various problems such as loss of signal, poor reception, and billing problems. ver fifty-five percent of Comcast subscribers (55.7%) have called customer service to resolve an issue in the past year. The highest percentage of subscribers called for loss of service/signal (31.3%), followed by problems with cable equipment (28.5%), billing problems (20.1%), poor reception (13.9%), and other issues (7.2%). In terms of the average number of times called for each issue, the highest annual average number of times called was for loss of service/signal (2.2 calls annually), followed by poor reception (2.1 calls annually), billing problems (2.0 calls annually), problems with cable equipment (1.9 calls annually), and other issues (1.7 calls annually) (see Table 4 and Figure 5). Table 4 Level of Contact with Comcast Customer Service Issue Percent Who Called in Last 12 Months Avg. # Times Called in Last 12 Months 2 Loss of Service/Signal 31.3% 2.2 Problems with Cable Equipment 28.5% 1.9 Billing Problems 20.1% 2.0 Poor Reception 13.9% 2.1 ther Issues 7.2% 1.7 Note: Table is sorted by percent who called in the last 12 months. Figure 5 Level of Contact with Comcast Customer Service Percent 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 31.3% 2.2 28.5% 1.9 2.0 20.1% 2.1 13.9% 1.7 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 Average 10.0% 5.0% 7.2% 0.5 0.0% Loss of Problems with Billing Problems Poor Reception Service/Signal Cable Equipment ther Issues 0.0 % Who Called Avg. # Times Called 2 Average calculated from subscribers who called for each complaint and does not include subscribers who did not call. 6
ther issues include: My neighbor moved. Comcast sent out a guy and he turned off my cable. It took 3 days to fix. Needed assistance understanding use of n Demand Installation of underground cable was very poorly done. During installation the phone line was cut. Cannot speak to someone who is in the U.S. and speaks English. I am still smarting from a poor service call (visit) to my home-over 2 years ago. Disconnected wrong box. Also come on property without checking first with customer. Tree branch resting on cable. Told we would receive service when cable breaks. Changing service required two calls. Problem with installation of new service. 7
3.30 Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Programming Public, Educational and Government (PEG) programming includes local programs such as government meetings, community events, and school events. Subscribers were asked several questions regarding PEG programming. 3.31 How Much Do You Value PEG Programming? Subscribers were asked how much they value having access to Public, Educational and Government Access programming, including programming such as local Board of Selectmen and School Committee Meetings, Town Meetings, other government meetings, community events and public programming, and school events including athletic events, performing arts and concerts, and graduations. ver a third of subscribers (37.4%) highly value access to PEG programming, while 45.2 percent of subscribers somewhat value access to PEG programming, 13.2 percent do not value access to PEG programming, and 4.2 percent do not know (see Table 5 and Figure 6). Table 5 How Much Do You Value Having Access to PEG Programming? Percent Highly Value 37.4% Somewhat Value 45.2% Do Not Value 13.2% Don t Know 4.2% Figure 6 100.0% How Much Do You Value Having Access to PEG Programming? 75.0% 50.0% 37.4% 45.2% 25.0% 0.0% 13.2% 4.2% Highly Value Somewhat Value Do Not Value At All Don't Know 8
3.32 PEG Programming Viewership Levels In the Town of Yarmouth, government access programming is provided by the Town, educational access programming is provided by the schools, and public access programming is provided by an independent group called the Cape Cod Media Center. Subscribers were asked if they watch local programs on each of Yarmouth s PEG channels: Public Channel 17: Local parades, community programs, and other local events. Government Channel 18: Local government programs, such as Selectmen s meetings, Planning Board, and Finance Committee meetings. Educational Channel 22: Sporting events, concerts, School Committee meetings and other educational programming. Nearly seventy percent of subscribers (69.5%) watch at least one of the PEG channels, with 58.3 percent of subscribers indicating that they watch Government Cable Channel 18, 47.4 percent of subscribers indicating that they watch Public Cable Channel 17, and 40.9 percent of subscribers indicating that they watch Educational Channel 22 (see Table 6 and Figure 7). Table 6 Percentage Who Watch Local Programming on Each PEG Channel Channel 17 Channel 18 Channel 22 Yes 47.4% 58.3% 40.9% No 52.6% 41.7% 59.1% 100.0% Figure 7 Percentage Who Watch Local Programming on Each PEG Channel 75.0% 50.0% 58.3% 47.4% 40.9% 25.0% 0.0% Channel 17 Channel 18 Channel 22 9
3.33 Town Meetings Coverage Subscribers were asked if they would like to continue to see various Town of Yarmouth meetings cablecast. A majority of subscribers indicate that they would like to see four of the six meetings listed on the questionnaire cablecast, including Annual and/or Special Town meetings (70.4%), Board of Selectmen meetings (66.1%), Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals meetings (56.3%), and School Committee meetings (53.9%). Less than a majority of subscribers would like to see Conservation Commission meetings (45.2%) and ther Board and Committee meetings (38.1%) cablecast (see Table 7 and Figure 8). Table 7 Would You Like to See the Following Town of Yarmouth Meetings Cablecast? Don't Yes No Know Annual and/or Special Town Meetings 70.4% 15.2% 14.4% Board of Selectmen Meetings 66.1% 17.4% 16.5% Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals Meetings 56.3% 24.3% 19.4% School Committee Meetings 53.9% 26.1% 20.0% Conservation Commission Meetings 45.2% 29.0% 25.8% ther Board or Committee Meetings 38.1% 30.2% 31.7% Figure 8 Would Like to Continue to See the Following Town of Yarmouth Meetings Cablecast? Annual and/or Special Town Meetings 70.4% Board of Selectmen Meetings Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals Meetings School Committee Meetings 53.9% 66.1% 56.3% Conservation Commission Meetings 45.2% ther Board or Committee Meetings 38.1% 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 10
3.34 Additional Community Events Programming Subscribers were asked if they would like to see more community events programming such as sporting events and concerts. More than forty-five percent of subscribers (45.4%) would like to see more community events programming, while 29.6 percent of subscribers would not like to see more community events programming and 24.9 percent of subscribers do not know (see Table 8 and Figure 9). Subscribers who highly value local programming (see Section 3.31) are more likely to want to see more community events programming in comparison to subscribers who place less value on local programming. Table 8 Would You Like to See More Community Events Programming Such as Sporting Events and Concerts? Percent Yes 45.4% No 29.6% Don t Know 24.9% Figure 9 Would You Like to See More Community Events Programming Such as Sporting Events and Concerts? Yes 45.4% No 29.6% Don't Know 24.9% 11
3.35 Cape Cod Media Center Public Access Facility Subscribers were asked if they are aware of the opportunity to use the Cape Cod Media Center s public access facility on White s Path to receive instruction on, and use, video production equipment and recording studios. Nearly forty percent of subscribers (39.6%) are aware of the opportunity to use the Cape Cod Media Center s public access facility, while 60.4 percent of subscribers are not aware (see Table 9 and Figure 10). Table 9 Are You Aware of the pportunity to Use The Cape Cod Media Center s Public Access Facility? Percent Yes 39.6% No 60.4% Figure 10 Are You Aware of the pportunity to Use The Cape Cod Media Center s Public Access Facility? No 60.4% Yes 39.6% 12
3.36 Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment, and Training in Video Production Subscribers were asked if Comcast should continue to provide funding for studio equipment, mobile recording equipment and training in video production, which enables town residents and staff to produce local programs for cable television. Nearly two-thirds of subscribers (65.7%) agree that Comcast should continue to provide funding for these items and services, while 10.6 percent of subscribers disagree and 23.7 percent do not know (see Table 10 and Figure 11). Table 10 Should Comcast Continue to Provide Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment and Training in Video Production? Percent Yes 65.7% No 10.6% Don t Know 23.7% Figure 11 Should Comcast Continue to Provide Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment and Training in Video Production? Yes 65.7% No 10.6% Don't Know 23.7% 13
3.40 The Institutional Network ( I-NET ) As part of its current license with the Town, Comcast maintains a separate network for the Town s audio, video and data use, called the I-Net. The I-Net provides a link between Town buildings and is used by the Town for public services such as police, fire, public schools and other municipal agencies. The I-NET is also necessary for the cablecast of live on-location televised events such as: Selectmen Meetings, parades, Town Meeting, and Graduation. The Town is not charged for use of the I-Net. 3.41 Continued Use of the I-Net Subscribers were asked if they would like to see the continued use of the I-Net by the Town for audio, video and data purposes. More than two-thirds of subscribers (69.6%) would like to see the continued use of the I-Net by the Town, while 6.0 percent of subscribers would not like to see continued use of the I-Net and 24.5 percent of subscribers do not know (see Table 11 and Figure 12). Table 11 Would You Like to See the Continued Use of the I-Net by the Town for Audio, Video and Data Purposes? Percent Yes 69.6% No 6.0% Don t Know 24.5% Figure 12 Would You Like to See the Continued Use of the I-Net by the Town for Audio, Video and Data Purposes? No, 6.0% Yes, 69.6% Don't Know, 24.5% 14
3.42 Extension of the I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations Subscribers were asked if the town should negotiate the extension of the I-Net to additional town buildings and locations acquired since the current I-Net was installed. More than forty-six percent of subscribers (46.4%) agree that the town should negotiate the extension of the I-Net, while 10.1 percent of subscribers disagree and 43.5 percent of subscribers do not know (see Table 12 and Figure 13). Table 12 Should Town Negotiate the Extension of The I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations Acquired Since the Current I-Net was Installed? Percent Yes 46.4% No 10.1% Don t Know 43.5% Figure 13 Should Town Negotiate the Extension of the I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations Acquired Since the Current I-Net Was Installed? Yes, 46.4% No, 10.1% Don't Know, 43.5% 15
3.50 Comcast Video on Demand and n-screen Interactive Program Guide 3.51 Familiarity with Comcast s Video on Demand and Availability for PEG Programming Video on Demand (VD) offers programs that are available any time customers want to watch them with the ability to fast forward, rewind and pause selections. Fifty-eight percent of subscribers (58.1%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Video on Demand, while 41.9 percent of subscribers are not familiar with this service (see Table 13). Subscribers were asked if they would like PEG programming, including government meetings, to be available as Video on Demand so that they can watch the programming at their convenience. 3 More than forty percent of subscribers (40.4%) indicate that they would like PEG programming to be available as Video n Demand, while 31.1 percent of subscribers would not like PEG to be available as Video n Demand and 28.4 percent indicate that they do not know (see Table 13 and Figure 14). A higher percentage of subscribers who are familiar with Video n Demand (48.1%) would like PEG programming to be available as Video n Demand in comparison to subscribers who are not familiar with Video n Demand (29.7%). Table 13 Comcast Video on Demand Familiar with VD? PEG Available as VD? Yes 58.1% 40.4% No 41.9% 31.1% Do Not Know NA 28.4% Figure 14 Would You Like the Public, Educational, and Government Access Programming to be Available as Video n Demand? Yes, 40.4% No, 31.1% Don't Know, 28.4% 3 This question was asked to all subscribers regardless of whether or not they were familiar with Video on Demand. 16
3.52 Non-Interactive Scrolling Program Guide Comcast traditionally offered a non-interactive scrolling program guide on channel 3 for channels 2 through 99. In December 2007, Comcast removed this TV Guide Channel from the Basic Service Tier. Subscribers were asked if they believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier. ver two-thirds of subscribers (69.2%) believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier, while 12.5 percent of subscribers do not believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel and 18.3 percent do not know (see Table 14 and Figure 15). Table 14 Do You Believe the Town Should Seek the Return of The TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier? Percent Yes 69.2% No 12.5% Do Not Know 18.3% Figure 15 Do You Believe the Town Should Seek the Return of the TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier? No 12.5% Yes 69.2% Don't Know 18.3% 17
3.53 Electronic Program Guide Subscribers were asked if they are familiar with Comcast s Electronic Program Guide. The Program Guide enables customers to find a show on any channel, set favorite channels, use parental controls to block specific channels or individual programs and to record any television show with a digital video recorder. More than thirty-three percent of subscribers (33.6%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Electronic Program Guide, while 66.4 percent are not familiar with this service (see Table 15). Subscribers who indicated that they are familiar with the Electronic Program Guide were asked if they would like to have the PEG program schedule included as part of the Guide. More than sixty-eight percent of subscribers (68.3%) would like to have the PEG program schedule included as part of the Electronic Program Guide, while 25.7 percent of subscribers would not like to have the PEG program schedule included as part of the Guide and 6.1 percent of subscribers indicate that they do not know (see Table 15 and Figure 16). Table 15 Electronic Program Guide Familiar with Guide? Should PEG Schedule Be Included? Yes 33.6% 68.3% No 66.4% 25.7% Don t Know N/A 6.1% Figure 16 Would You Like to Have the Public, Educational, and Government Access Program Schedule Included as Part of Comcast s Electronic Program Guide? Yes, 68.3% No, 25.7% Don't Know, 6.1% 18
3.60 Customer Service ffice Comcast currently operates and staffs a customer service office at 10 ld Townhouse Road in South Yarmouth, where subscribers can pick-up or return equipment and pay bills. Subscribers were asked how strongly they agree or disagree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office. More than two-thirds of subscribers (69.0%) strongly agree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office, while 18.2 percent of subscribers somewhat agree, 11.3 percent of subscribers neither agree nor disagree, 1.2 percent of subscribers somewhat disagree, and 0.3 percent of subscribers strongly disagree (see Table 16 and Figure 17). More than half of subscribers (52.7%) visited the customer service office in the past year and made an average of 4.4 visits. Table 16 How Strongly Do You Agree or Disagree that Comcast Should Continue to perate the Customer Service ffice in Yarmouth? Percent Strongly Agree 69.0% Somewhat Agree 18.2% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 11.3% Somewhat Disagree 1.2% Strongly Disagree 0.3% Figure 17 How Strongly Do You Agree or Disagree that Comcast Should Continue to perate the Customer Service Center in Yarmouth? 80.0% 69.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% Strongly Agree 18.2% Somewhat Agree 11.3% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 1.2% 0.3% Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree 19
3.70 Ability to verride Programming with Emergency Messages Subscribers were asked if they would like Comcast to provide the Town of Yarmouth with the ability to override programming with emergency messages on all cable system channels for Yarmouth cable television subscribers. More than eighty-one percent of subscribers (81.4%) feel that Comcast should provide emergency officials with the ability to override cable programming, while 5.9 percent of subscribers do not agree and 12.7 percent of subscribers do not know (see Table 17 and Figure 18). Table 17 Should Comcast Provide the Town of Yarmouth with the Ability to verride Programming n All Cable Channels with Emergency Messages for Cable Television Subscribers? Percent Yes 81.4% No 5.9% Don t Know 12.7% Figure 18 Should Comcast Provide the Town of Yarmouth with the Ability to verride Programming n All Cable Channels with Emergency Messages for Cable Television Subscribers? Yes 81.4% No 5.9% Don't Know 12.7% 20
3.80 Senior Discounts 3.81 Who Should Receive Discount? Subscribers were asked if there should be a discount provided to all senior citizens, over age 65, regardless of need/ income level, or to senior citizens based on need/income level. ver sixty percent of subscribers (60.8%) feel that a discount should be extended to all seniors regardless of need/income, while 35.3 percent of subscribers indicate that the discount should be based on need/income and 4.0 percent of subscribers do not know (see Table 18 and Figure 19). Table 18 Should Discount Be Provided to All Senior Citizens to All Seniors or Based on Need/Income Level? Percent Discounts to All Seniors 60.8% Discount Based on Need 35.3% Don t Know 4.0% Figure 19 Should Discount Be Provided to All Senior Citizens to All Seniors or Based on Need/Income Level? Discounts to All Seniors 60.7% Discount Based on Need 35.3% Don t Know 4.0% 21
3.82 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License? Subscribers were asked if a senior discount should be part of the Town of Yarmouth s new cable television renewal license. More than eighty-three percent of subscribers (83.2%) indicate that a discount for seniors should be part of the Town of Yarmouth s new cable television renewal license, while 6.9 percent of subscribers disagree and 9.9 percent do not know (see Table 19 and Figure 20). Table 19 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License? Percent Yes 83.2% No 6.9% Don t Know 9.9% Figure 20 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License? Yes 83.2% No 6.9% Don t Know 9.9% 22
3.90 Reason Respondent Does not Subscribe to Comcast Cable and Additional Comments 3.91 Reason Respondent Does Not Subscribe to Comcast Cable Non-subscribers (8.4%, N=56) were asked to indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 why they do not subscribe to Comcast cable, with 1 meaning they strongly disagree and 5 meaning they strongly agree. 4 n average, subscribers most strongly agree that they do not subscribe to cable because they use a satellite dish to receive signals (4.6 average), the monthly bill is too high (4.5 average), and that the installation cost is too high (4.0 average). Subscribers on average least agree that they do not subscribe to cable because Comcast cable is not available on their street (1.4 average), they have no television/do not watch TV (1.5 average), and that they use over the air signals only (2.2 average) (see Table 20 and Figure 21). Table 20 Why Have You Chosen Not to Subscribe to Comcast Cable? Average Scale (1 to 5) Use a satellite dish to receive signals 4.6 Monthly bill is too high 4.5 Installation cost is too high 4.0 Use over-the-air signals only 2.2 No television/does not watch TV 1.5 Comcast cable not available 1.4 Figure 21 Reasons for Not Subscribing to Comcast Cable Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree Use a satellite dish to receive signals 4.6 Monthly bill is too high 4.5 Installation cost is too high 4.0 Use over-the-air signals only 2.2 No television/does not watch TV 1.5 Comcast cable not available 1.4 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 4 Due to the low number of responses for this question, conclusions should be made with caution. 23
ther reasons that subscribers do not subscribe to Comcast cable include: Have a package from Verizon for phone, internet, cable with one bill (N=2). Have to rent HD receiver with Comcast. Used to have Comcast and cancelled because rates went up too high and service was poor. [Comcast] service was poor at best. Used to lose signal every so often, once for 4 or 5 days. 3.92 Additional Comments Subscribers included numerous additional comments. The complete list of these comments can be found in Appendix C, although the major theses, followed by the number of comments, are described below. Comcast is too expensive/verpriced/can t afford rates (N=72). Would like an a-la-carte pricing structure (N=42). Need cable competition in Yarmouth (N=38). Comcast taking away channels and not replacing them or lowering prices accordingly (N=34). Not enough channels / Too many repeated movies (N=24). Should not have to rent each digital box separately - one rental fee (N=19). Comcast provides very consistent service (N=19). Rates are raised too frequently (N=16). Comcast's signal is poor (N=14). Comcast has poor customer service and technical support (N=11). Comcast needs to have more open disclosure on their billing / Bill is due only a couple of days after receipt (N=9). There should be more stations available on basic television (N=9). An available programming guide is needed (N=5). Reduced fee for all seniors (N=4). 24
APPENDIX A SURVEY INSTRUMENT A. GENERAL QUESTINS Q1. Is cable television service from Comcast available where you live in Yarmouth? YES N [PLEASE SKIP T QUESTIN 31] Q2. Do you subscribe to Comcast cable television? YES N [PLEASE SKIP T QUESTIN 30] Q3. At the present time, Comcast is the only company providing cable television services to Yarmouth residents. Would you like to see other companies provide cable television services in Yarmouth as well, competing with Comcast? YES N DN T KNW B. CABLE TELEVISIN AVAILABILITY Q4. Is cable television service available where you work in Yarmouth? YES N D NT WRK IN YARMUTH/RETIRED DN T KNW Q5. Do you think that cable television service should be available to all residents in Yarmouth without additional charges based on location (other than a standard installation charge)? YES N DN T KNW Q6. Do you think that cable television service should be available to all businesses in the Town without additional charges based on location (other than a standard installation charge)? YES N DN T KNW 25
C. SATISFACTIN WITH CABLE TELEVISIN SERVICES Q7. n a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent, how would you rate the following categories regarding your cable television service? Please circle the appropriate response. Poor Excellent Don t Know A. Quality of picture/signal reception 1 2 3 4 5 6 B. Consistency of sound level 1 2 3 4 5 6 C. Reliability of converter box 1 2 3 4 5 6 D. Response time of service technicians/repairs 1 2 3 4 5 6 E. Reliability and clarity of billing 1 2 3 4 5 6 F. Response time on billing inquiries/complaints 1 2 3 4 5 6 G. Quality of customer support personnel 1 2 3 4 5 6 H. Time to reach a Comcast customer service representative by phone 1 2 3 4 5 6 I. verall value (of cable service/support) for price paid 1 2 3 4 5 6 D. LEVEL F CNTACT WITH CMCAST Q8. How many times in the past year have you contacted Comcast regarding any of the following for cable television services? Please write in "0" if you have not called. A. LSS F SERVICE/SIGNAL B. PR RECEPTIN C. BILLING PRBLEMS D. PRBLEMS WITH CABLE EQUIPMENT # TIMES CALLED (PLEASE WRITE IN) E. THER CMPLAINTS Please describe other complaints: 26
E. PUBLIC, EDUCATINAL, AND GVERNMENT ACCESS PRGRAMMING Q9. How much do you value having access to Public, Educational and Government Access programming, including programming such as local Board of Selectmen and School Committee Meetings, Town Meetings, other government meetings, community events and public programming, and school events including athletic events, performing arts and concerts, and graduations? Do you: HIGHLY VALUE THIS TYPE F PRGRAMMING SMEWHAT VALUE THIS TYPE F PRGRAMMING D NT VALUE THIS TYPE F PRGRAMMING AT ALL DN T KNW In the Town of Yarmouth, government access programming is provided by the Town, educational access programming is provided by the schools, and public access programming is provided by an independent group called the Cape Cod Media Center. Please answer the following questions regarding local programming. Q10. Do you watch local parades, community programs, such as talk programs, and other local events on the public Cable Channel 17? YES N Q11. Do you watch any of the sporting events, concerts, School Committee or other programming on the educational Cable Channel 22? YES N Q12. Do you watch local government programs, such as Selectmen s meetings, Planning Board or Board of Health meetings on the government Cable Channel 18? YES N Q13. Please tell me whether or not you would like to continue to see the following Town of Yarmouth meetings cablecast on cable television. Please check or fill in the appropriate response: YES N DN T KNW A BARD F SELECTMEN MEETINGS ο ο ο B SCHL CMMITTEE MEETINGS ο ο ο C PLANNING BARD AND/R ZNING BARD F APPEALS MEETINGS ο ο ο D CNSERVATIN CMMISSIN MEETINGS ο ο ο E THER BARD R CMMITTEE MEETINGS ο ο ο F ANNUAL AND/R SPECIAL TWN MEETINGS ο ο ο 27