CABLE TELEVISION SURVEY SANDWICH, MASSACHUSETTS October 2008
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH CENTER FOR POLICY 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 BOARD 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, Sociology Assistant to the Director Matthew Hirschy, B.S., Marketing Research Assistant ADJUNCT RESEARCH ASSOCIATES Paul Vigeant, M.A., Public Administration SouthCoast Development Partnership Correspondence and inquiries should be addressed to:,, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, Massachusetts 02747-2300 (telephone: 508-990-9660; fax: 508-999-8374). Copyright. All rights reserved. Author: Clyde W. Barrow, Ph.D., 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. 65
Table of Contents Executive Summary... iii 1.00 Introduction...1 2.00 Methodology and Survey Tabulation...1 2.10 Survey Instrument... 1 2.20 Sampling Procedures... 1 2.30 Telephone Interviewer Training and Supervision... 2 2.40 Analysis of Results... 2 3.00 Results...3 3.10 Cable Competition and Availability of Comcast Cable Television Services... 3 3.11 Cable Competition... 3 3.12 Availability of Comcast Cable Television at Home and at Work... 4 3.13 Extension of Comcast Cable Services to All Sandwich Residents and Businesses... 5 3.20 Satisfaction with Comcast Cable TV Services... 6 3.21 Satisfaction with Various Services... 6 3.22 Subscriber Contact with Comcast... 7 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 Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment, and Training in Video Production... 12 3.40 The Institutional Network ( I-NET )... 13 3.41 Continued Use of the I-Net... 13 3.42 Extension of the I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations... 14 i
3.50 Comcast Video on Demand, TV Guide Channel, and On-Screen Interactive Program Guide... 15 3.51 Familiarity with Comcast s Video on Demand and Availability for PEG Programming.. 15 3.52 Non-Interactive Scrolling Program Guide... 16 3.53 Electronic Program Guide... 17 3.60 Customer Service Office... 18 3.70 Ability to Override Programming with Emergency Messages... 19 3.80 Senior Discounts... 20 3.81 Who Should Receive Discount?... 20 3.82 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License?... 21 3.90 Reason Respondent Does not Subscribe to Comcast Cable And Respondent Comments... 22 3.91 Reason Respondents Does Not Subscribe to Comcast Cable... 22 3.92 Additional Comments... 23 Appendix A Survey Instrument...26 Appendix B Frequencies...34 ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Cable television service for residents of Sandwich, Massachusetts is provided by Comcast, Inc. Comcast s existing license to provide cable television service in Sandwich expires in September of 2009. The results of this random sample telephone survey will help the Town determine the viewing patterns, satisfaction levels, and needs of Sandwich 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. A total of 539 telephone interviews were conducted with Sandwich households from June 19, 2008 to June 24, 2008. Over ninety-nine percent of these households (99.4%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live and 76.3 percent (N=411) subscribe to Comcast cable. Subscribers pay an average of $70.01 for their cable service, not including Internet or telephone. Results of the survey include: Availability of Comcast Cable Television at Home and at Work Nearly all respondents (99.4%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live and 76.9 percent indicate that Comcast is available where they work in Sandwich. There is strong support among subscribers for making Comcast cable television service available to all Sandwich residents and businesses: 89.6 percent of respondents agree that Comcast cable television service should be made available to all residents, and 85.9 percent of respondents agree that cable television services should be made available to all Sandwich businesses. Cable Competition Respondents were asked if they would like to see other companies provide cable television service in Sandwich, where Comcast is currently the only cable operator. Nearly nine in ten respondents (89.2%) would like to see other companies provide cable television services, while 6.8 percent of respondents would not like other companies to compete with Comcast and 4.0 percent of respondents do not know. Subscriber Contact with Comcast Customer Service Sixty-four percent of Comcast subscribers (64.0%) have called customer service in the last twelve months to resolve an issue. The highest percentage of respondents called for loss of service/signal (51.1%), followed by problems with cable equipment (28.0%), billing problems (24.8%), poor reception (21.9%), and other issues (4.9%). The highest annual average number of times called was for other issues (3.7 calls annually), followed by loss of service/signal (2.3 calls annually), poor reception (2.0 calls iii
annually), problems with cable equipment (1.9 calls annually), and billing problems (1.9 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. On average, respondents are generally satisfied with the services they receive from Comcast. Respondents are most satisfied with the: quality of the signal reception (4.1 average), reliability and clarity of billing (3.9 average), reliability of the converter box (3.8 average), quality of customer support personnel (3.8 average), response time on billing inquiries/complaints (3.6 average), consistency of the sound level (3.5 average), response time of service technicians/repairs (3.5 average), and amount of time required to reach a customer service representative by telephone (3.4 average). Respondents are least satisfied with the overall value of cable service/support for the price paid (2.9 average), which is the only choice that respondents rated on average below the midpoint of the scale. Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Programming Public, Educational and Government (PEG) programming includes local programs such as government meetings, community events, and school events. Respondents were asked several questions regarding PEG programming. Respondents were asked how much they value having access to PEG programming on a scale of highly value, somewhat value, do not value, and don t know. Over a third of respondents (34.6%) highly value access to public, education, and government programming, while 46.5 percent of respondents somewhat value access to this type of programming, 14.0 percent do not value access to this type of programming, and 4.9 percent do not know. More than sixty percent of respondents (60.5%) watch at least one of the three Sandwich PEG channels: 51.8 percent of respondents indicate that they watch the Government Cable Channel 15, 42.2 percent of respondents indicate that they watch Educational Channel 14, and 41.3 percent of respondents indicate that they watch Public Cable Channel 13. iv
Respondents were provided a list of six Town of Sandwich meetings and asked if they would like to see, or continue to see, these meetings on cable television. A majority of respondents indicate that they would like to see five of the six meetings listed in the questionnaire on cable television: Board of Selectmen (74.4%), School Committee (71.7%), Annual and/or Special Town (60.8%), Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals (55.6%), Other board and committee (50.2%), and Historic District Committee (49.2%). More than forty-six percent of respondents (46.6%) would like to see more community events programming such as sporting events and concerts, while 35.7 percent of respondents would not like to see more community events programming, and 17.7 percent of respondents do not know. Comcast collects a PEG Access Fee surcharge on the bills of residential subscribers that provides 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. More than eighty-four percent of respondents (84.6%) agree that Comcast should continue to provide funding for these items and services, while 6.4 percent of respondents disagree, and 9.0 percent do not know. 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. Respondents were asked if they would like to see the continued use of the I-Net in Sandwich. Nine in ten respondents (90.0%) indicate that they would like to see the continued use of the I-Net by the Town, while 3.2 percent of respondents would not like to see continued use of the I-Net, and 6.7 percent of respondents do not know. As a follow-up question, respondents 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 three-quarters of respondents (77.0%) agree that the town should negotiate the extension of the I-Net, while 6.4 percent of respondents disagree, and 16.7 percent of respondents do not know. Comcast Video on Demand Video on Demand offers programs that are available any time customers want to watch them with the ability to fast forward, rewind, and pause selections. Respondents 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. More than eighty-seven percent of respondents (87.4%) are familiar with Comcast s Video on Demand and 56.9 percent indicate that they would like PEG programming to be available as Video on Demand, while 27.7 percent v
of respondents would not like Video on Demand to be available, and 15.4 percent indicate that they do not know. Electronic Program Guide Respondents 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 fifty-seven percent of respondents (57.5%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Electronic Program Guide and, of those, 82.9 percent would like to have the PEG program schedule included as part of the Guide, while 5.7 percent would not like to have the PEG program schedule included as part of the Guide and 11.4 percent 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. More than four in five respondents (80.6%) believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier, while 14.1 percent of respondents do not believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel, and 5.3 percent do not know. Customer Service Office Respondents were asked how strongly they agree or disagree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office at the Trade Winds Plaza on Cotuit Road and Route 130. More than two-thirds of respondents (67.6%) strongly agree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office, while 23.7 percent of respondents somewhat agree, 7.7 percent of respondents neither agree nor disagree, 0.3 percent of respondents somewhat disagree, and 0.7 percent of respondents strongly disagree. Ability to Override Programming with Emergency Messages A large majority of respondents (94.2%) feel that Comcast should provide emergency officials with the ability to override cable programming with emergency messages on all cable system channels, while 4.8 percent of respondents do not agree, and 1.0 percent of respondents do not know. Senior Discounts Respondents 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. Over fifty-eight percent of respondents (58.4%) feel that a discount should be extended to all seniors regardless of need/income, while 38.5 percent of respondents indicate that the discount should be based on need/income and 3.1 percent of respondents do not know. As a follow-up question, respondents were asked if a senior discount should be part of the Town of Sandwich s new cable television renewal license. More than eighty-six percent of respondents (86.8%) indicate that a discount for seniors should be part of the Town of vi
Sandwich s new cable television renewal license, while 7.9 percent of respondents disagree, and 5.3 percent do not know. Reason Respondent Does Not Subscribe to Comcast Cable Non-subscribers (23.7%, N=128) 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. On average, respondents most strongly agree that they do not subscribe to cable because: they use a satellite dish to receive signals (4.8 average), the monthly bill is too high (4.1 average), or the installation cost is too high (3.5 average). Respondents on average least agree that they do not subscribe to cable because: they have no television/do not watch TV (1.1 average), Comcast cable is not available on their street (1.2 average), or they use over the air signals only (1.9 average). Respondents were asked to provide additional comments. The comments are numerous and wide-ranging but the major themes, followed by the number of respondents for each, are: Comcast is too expensive/can t afford rates (N=15). Need competition/competition would be good for the town (N=14). Would like an a la carte [pricing] structure (N=8). Comcast too expensive for what they offer (N=5). Very happy with Comcast/overall service (N=5). Want the Hallmark channel back (N=5). Want Verizon FiOS to be available (N=4). Satellite is a much better deal/better programming (N=3). Senior discount should start at the age of 62 (N=3). vii
[This page left blank intentionally] viii
1.00 INTRODUCTION Cable television service for residents of Sandwich, Massachusetts is provided by Comcast, Inc. Comcast s existing license to provide cable television service in Sandwich expires in September of 2009. The results of this random sample telephone survey will help the Town determine the viewing patterns, satisfaction levels, and needs of Sandwich 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. A total of 539 telephone interviews were conducted with Sandwich households from June 19, 2008 to June 24, 2008. More than three-quarters of households (76.3% N=411) subscribe to Comcast cable, which provides a margin of error of +/- 4.8 percent for the complete set of subscriber data. 1 2.00 METHODOLOGY AND SURVEY TABULATION 2.10 Survey Instrument The telephone survey was conducted using a survey instrument developed by the Center for Policy Analysis and the Town of Sandwich 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 The uses the Genesys Sampling from Marketing s Group to generate random telephone numbers. The Genesys Sampling is used by many major survey organizations. The system uses a list of all possible telephone numbers in the United States to randomly generate a telephone sample for a designated geographic area. The survey was conducted using a random digit dialing (RDD) sample. The RDD sample ensures an equal and known probability of selection for every residential telephone number in the sample frame. In other words, each Sandwich household with a telephone has an equal chance of being selected for the sample. 1 There is a 4.8 percent margin of error at a confidence interval of 95 percent. This means that if a question from the survey was asked 100 times, 95 of those times the percentage of people giving a particular answer to the question would be within 4.8 points of the percentage who gave the same answer in this poll. However, the number of responses is lower for some questions (e.g. non-cable subscribers), thus the margin of error is higher in those cases. 1
2.30 Telephone Interviewer Training and Supervision Student research assistants and Center staff were employed as telephone interviewers. These interviewers have conducted numerous telephone polls on behalf of the Center and all have been trained intensively, including practice interviews. Senior-level staff at the Center for Policy Analysis monitored the interviewers at all times to ensure high quality data collection. The conducted interviews between 9:00 am and 8:00 pm on weekdays and 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. This range of hours provides the interviewers with an opportunity to contact hard to reach respondents, a procedure crucial to producing high quality survey data. Return calls were scheduled at the convenience of the respondents. The Center s senior staff continually monitored the progress of interview outcomes to prevent problem cases that could interfere with the integrity of survey procedures. The survey procedures used by the adhere to the highest quality academic and government research standards. 2.40 Analysis of Results Basic frequencies were tabulated for each survey question (see Appendix B). The sample was weighted to account for sample bias, specifically non-response error. Non-response error is defined as the tendency of some groups to respond to a survey at lower or higher rates in comparison to other groups. No matter how carefully a sample is selected, some members of the sample simply cannot be reached. For example, some households may not have a telephone, have a wireless telephone only, or use Caller ID or their answering machine to screen calls. In general, it is more difficult to contact younger males by telephone than it is to contact older females. In this sample, females and older respondents are over-represented. Weighting the data allocates more weight to groups that are under-represented (e.g. younger males), while providing less weight to groups that are over-represented (e.g. older females). In other words, weighting adjusts the sample so that it looks more like the actual population of Sandwich as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. All data in this report have been weighted to adjust for gender and age, although differences between the weighted sample and non-weighted sample are relatively minor for nearly all questions. 2
3.00 RESULTS A total of 539 telephone interviews were conducted with Sandwich households. Over ninety-nine percent of households (99.4%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live and 76.3 percent (N=411) subscribe to Comcast cable. These households pay an average of $70.01 for their cable service, not including Internet or telephone. 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 Sandwich residents. Respondents were asked if they would like to see other companies provide cable television services in Sandwich, competing with Comcast. Nearly nine in ten respondents (89.2%) would like to see other companies provide cable television services in Sandwich, while 6.8 percent would not like other companies to provide cable television services and 4.0 percent do not know (see Table 1 and Figure 1). Table 1 Would You Like Other Companies to Provide Cable Television Services to Sandwich Residents? Percent Yes 89.2% No 6.8% Don t Know 4.0% Figure 1 Would You Like to See Other Companies Provide Cable Television Services to Sandwich Residents? Yes 89.2% Don't Know 4.0% No 6.8% 3
3.12 Availability of Comcast Cable Television at Home and at Work Comcast cable television service is not available to some Sandwich residents and businesses. Nearly all respondents (99.4%) indicate that Comcast cable is available where they live, while 76.9 percent indicate that Comcast is available where they work in Sandwich (see Table 2 and Figure 2). Table 2 Is Cable Television Service from Comcast Available Where You Live and Where You Work in Sandwich? Available at Home Available at Work 2 Yes 99.4% 76.9% No 0.3% 11.2% Don t Know 0.3% 11.9% Figure 2 Is Cable Television Service from Comcast Available Where You Live and Where You Work in Sandwich? 100.0% 75.0% 99.4% 76.9% Yes No Don t Know 50.0% 25.0% 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Available at Home 11.2% 11.9% Available at Work 2 Respondents who are retired, unemployed, or do not work in Sandwich are not included in the at work results. There were 175 respondents who work in Sandwich, thus conclusions should be made with caution due to the small number of respondents for this question. 4
3.13 Extension of Comcast Cable Services to All Sandwich Residents and Businesses Respondents were asked if they believe that cable television services should be made available to all Sandwich residents and businesses, without additional charges to new customers other than standard installation charges. Overall, there is strong support for making Comcast cable television services available to all Sandwich residents and businesses; more than eighty-nine percent of respondents (89.6%) agree that cable television services should be available to all residents and 85.9 percent of respondents agree that cable television services should be made available to all Sandwich businesses (see Table 3 and Figure 3).. Table 3 Should Cable Television Services be Available to All Sandwich Residents and Businesses? Available to All Residents Available to All Businesses Yes 89.6% 85.9% No 4.5% 6.0% Don t Know 6.0% 8.1% Figure 3 100.0% 75.0% Should Cable Television Services be Available to All Sandwich Residents and Businesses? 89.6% 85.9% Yes No Don t Know 50.0% 25.0% 0.0% 4.5% 6.0% Available at Home 6.0% 8.1% Available at Work 5
3.20 Satisfaction with 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. On average, respondents are generally satisfied with the services they receive from Comcast. Respondents are most satisfied with the quality of the signal reception (4.1 average), followed by the reliability and clarity of billing (3.9 average), the reliability of their converter box (3.8 average), the quality of customer support personnel (3.8 average), response time on billing inquiries/complaints (3.6 average), consistency of the sound level (3.5 average), response time of service technicians/repairs (3.5 average), and the amount of time required to reach a customer service representative by telephone (3.4 average) (see Figure 4). Respondents are least satisfied with the overall value of their cable service for the price paid (2.9 average), which is the only choice that respondents rate less than a score of 3. 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 Consistency of Sound Level Response time of service technicians/repairs Time to reach a Comcast customer service rep. by phone 4.1 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 Overall value (of cable service/support) for price paid 2.9 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 Poor Excellent 6
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. Sixty-four percent of Comcast subscribers (64.0%) have called customer service to resolve an issue in the past year. The highest percentage of respondents called for loss of service/signal (51.1%), followed by problems with cable equipment (28.0%), billing problems (24.8%), poor reception (21.9%), and other issues (4.9%). 3 The highest annual average number of times called was for other issues (3.7 calls annually), followed by loss of service/signal (2.3 calls annually), poor reception (2.0 calls annually), problems with cable equipment (1.9 calls annually), and billing problems (1.9 calls annually) (see Table 4 and Figure 5). Table 4 Subscriber Contact with Comcast Percent Who Called in Last 12 Months Avg. # Times Called in Last 12 Months 4 Issue Loss of Service/Signal 51.1% 2.3 Problems with Cable Equipment 28.0% 1.9 Billing Problems 24.8% 1.9 Poor Reception 21.9% 2.0 Other Issues 4.9% 3.7 Note: Table sorted by percent who called in the last 12 months. Figure 5 Calls to Comcast in the Last 12 Months Percent 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 51.1% 2.3 1.9 28.0% 1.9 24.8% 2.0 21.9% 4.9% 3.7 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 Average 0.0% Loss of Problems with Billing Problems Poor Reception Service/Signal Cable Equipment Other Issues - % Who Called Avg. # Times Called 3 Other issues include adding new channels to the line-up (e.g. Fox Business) and general complaints such as price or rate increases and poor service. 4 Averages calculated from respondents who called for each complaint and do not include respondents who did not call. 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. Respondents were asked several questions regarding PEG programming. 3.31 How Much Do You Value PEG Programming? Respondents 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. Over a third of respondents (34.6%) highly value access to PEG programming, while 46.5 percent of respondents somewhat value access to PEG programming, 14.0 percent do not value access to PEG programming, and 4.9 percent do not know (see Table 5 and Figure 6). A higher percentage of females (38.5%) highly value PEG programming in comparison to males (28.5%). Table 5 How Much Do You Value Having Access to PEG Access Programming? Percent Highly Value 34.6% Somewhat Value 46.5% Do Not Value 14.0% Don t Know 4.9% Figure 6 100.0% How Much Do You Value Having Access to PEG Programming? 75.0% 50.0% 34.4% 46.6% 25.0% 0.0% 14.1% 4.9% Highly Value Somewhat Value Do Not Value At All Don't Know 8
3.32 PEG Programming Viewership Levels Respondents were asked if they watch local programs on Sandwich s three PEG channels: Public Cable Channel 13: Educational Channel 14: Local parades, community programs, and other local events. Sporting events, concerts, School Committee meetings and other educational programming. Government Cable Channel 15: Local government programs, such as Selectmen s meetings, Planning Board, and Finance Committee meetings. More than sixty percent of respondents (60.5%) watch at least one of the three Sandwich PEG channels, with more than half of respondents (51.8%) indicating that they watch Government Cable Channel 15, 42.2 percent of respondents indicating that they watch Educational Channel 14, and 41.3 percent of respondents indicating that they watch Public Cable Channel 13 (see Table 6 and Figure 7). Table 6 Percentage Who Watch Local Programming On Each PEG Channel Channel 13 Channel 14 Channel 15 Yes 41.3% 42.2% 51.8% No 58.7% 57.8% 48.2% 100.0% Figure 7 Percentage Who Watch Local Programming on Each PEG Channel 75.0% 50.0% 41.3% 42.2% 51.8% 25.0% 0.0% Channel 13 Channel 14 Channel 15 9
3.33 Town Meetings Coverage Respondents were asked if they would like to continue to see various Town of Sandwich meetings on cable television. A majority of respondents indicate that they would like to see five of the six meetings listed on the questionnaire cablecast, including Board of Selectmen (74.4%), School Committee (71.7%), Annual and/or Special Town (60.8%), Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals (55.6%), and other board and committee (50.2%) meetings. Less than a majority, but a plurality of respondents (49.2%) would like to see Historic District Committee meetings on cable television (see Table 7 and Figure 8). Table 7 Would Like to See the Following Town of Sandwich Meetings Cablecast Meeting Yes No Don t Know Board of Selectmen 74.4% 21.4% 4.3% School Committee 71.7% 25.5% 2.8% Annual and/or Special Town 60.8% 34.3% 4.9% Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals 55.6% 38.9% 5.5% Other Board or Committee 50.2% 44.1% 5.6% Historic District Committee 49.2% 45.9% 4.8% Figure 8 Would Like to Continue to See the Following Town of Sandwich Meetings Cablecast on Cable Television? Board of Selectmen Meetings 74.4% School Committee Meetings 71.7% Annual and/or Special Town Meetings 60.8% Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals Meetings 55.6% Other Board or Committee Meetings 50.2% Historic District Committee Meetings 49.2% 0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 10
3.34 Additional Community Events Programming Respondents were asked if they would like to see more community events programming such as sporting events and concerts. More than forty-six percent of respondents (46.6%) would like to see more community events programming, while 35.7 percent of respondents would not like to see more community events programming and 17.7 percent of respondents do not know (see Table 8 and Figure 9). Respondents who highly value local programming (see Section 3.31) are more likely to want to see more community events programming in comparison to respondents 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 46.6% No 35.7% Don t Know 17.7% Figure 9 Yes 46.6% Would You Like to See More Community Events Programming Such as Sporting Events and Concerts? No 35.7% Don't Know 17.7% 11
3.35 Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment, and Training in Video Production Comcast collects a PEG Access Fee surcharge on the bills of residential subscribers and remits these funds to the local non-profit local access programming organization (SACAT). The Access Fee is spent on capital items such as studio equipment and mobile equipment but primarily for operating expenses, including wages for SACAT employees, utilities, and mileage for remote originations. Respondents 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. A large majority of respondents (84.6%) agree that Comcast should continue to provide funding for these items and services, while 6.4 percent of respondents disagree and 9.0 percent do not know (see Table 9 and Figure 10). Table 9 Should Comcast Continue to Provide Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment and Training in Video Production? Percent Yes 84.6% No 6.4% Don t Know 9.0% Figure 10 Should Comcast Continue to Provide Funding for Studio Equipment, Mobile Recording Equipment and Training in Video Production? Yes 84.6% No 6.4% Don't Know 9.0% 12
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 links among 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 Respondents were asked if they would like to see the continued use of the I-Net by the Town for audio, video and data purposes. Nine in ten respondents (90.0%) would like to see the continued use of the I-Net by the Town, while 3.2 percent of respondents would not like to see continued use of the I-Net and 6.7 percent of respondents do not know (see Table 10 and Figure 11). Table 10 Would You Like to See the Continued Use of the I-Net by the Town For Audio, Video and Data Purposes? Percent Yes 90.0% No 3.2% Don t Know 6.7% Figure 11 Would You Like to See the Continued Use of the I-Net by the Town for Audio, Video and Data Purposes? Yes 90.0% No 3.2% Don't Know 6.7% 13
3.42 Extension of the I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations Respondents 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 three-quarters of respondents (77.0%) agree that the town should negotiate the extension of the I-Net, while 6.4 percent of respondents disagree and 16.7 percent of respondents do not know (see Table 11 and Figure 12). Table 11 Should the Town Negotiate the Extension of The I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations Acquired Since the Current I-Net was Installed? Percent Yes 77.0% No 6.4% Don t Know 16.7% Figure 12 Should the Town Negotiate the Extension of the I-Net to Additional Town Buildings and Locations Acquired Since the Current I-Net was Installed? Yes 77.0% No 6.4% Don't Know 16.7% 14
3.50 Comcast Video on Demand, TV Guide Channel, and On-Screen Interactive Program Guide 3.51 Familiarity with Comcast s Video on Demand and Availability for PEG Programming Video on Demand offers programs that are available any time customers want to watch them with the ability to fast forward, rewind and pause selections. More than eighty-seven percent of respondents (87.4%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Video on Demand, while 12.6 percent are not familiar with this service (see Table 12). Respondents were asked if they would like PEG programming, including government meetings, to be available as Video on Demand (VOD) so that they can watch the programming at their convenience. 5 A majority of respondents (56.9%) indicate that they would like PEG programming to be available as Video on Demand, while 27.7 percent of respondents would not like PEG to be available as VOD and 15.4 percent indicate that they do not know (see Table 12 and Figure 13). A higher percentage of respondents who are familiar with VOD would like PEG programming to be available as VOD in comparison to respondents who are not familiar with VOD. Table 12 Comcast Video on Demand Familiar with VOD? PEG Available as VOD? 5 Yes 87.4% 56.9% No 12.6% 27.7% Do Not Know N/A 15.4% Figure 13 Would You Like the Public, Educational, and Government Access Programming to be Available as Video On Demand? No 27.7% Yes 56.9% Don't Know 15.4% 5 This question was asked to all subscribers regardless of whether or not they were familiar with Video on Demand. 15
3.52 Non-Interactive Scrolling Program Guide Comcast traditionally offered a non-interactive scrolling program guide on channel 3 for channels 2 through 99. Comcast removed this TV Guide Channel from the Basic Service Tier in December, 2007. Respondents were asked if they believe the town should seek the return of this TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier. More than four in five respondents (80.6%) believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier, while 14.1 percent of respondents do not believe the town should seek the return of the TV Guide Channel and 5.3 percent do not know (see Table 13 and Figure 14). Table 13 Do You Believe the Town Should Seek the Return of The TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier? Percent Yes 80.6% No 14.1% Do Not Know 5.3% Figure 14 Do You Believe the Town Should Seek the Return of The TV Guide Channel to the Basic Service Tier? Yes 80.6% Don't Know 5.3% No 14.1% 16
3.53 Electronic Program Guide Respondents 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 fifty-seven percent of respondents (57.5%) indicate that they are familiar with Comcast s Electronic Program Guide (EPG), while 42.5 percent are not familiar with this service (see Table 14). Those who were familiar with the Guide were asked if they would like to have the Public, Educational and Government (PEG) Access program schedule included as part of Comcast s Electronic Program Guide. More than eighty-two percent of respondents (82.9%) would like the PEG program schedule to be included as part of the Electronic Program Guide, while 5.7 percent of respondents would not like the PEG program schedule to be included as part of the Guide and 11.4 percent of respondents indicate that they do not know (see Table 14 and Figure 15). Table 14 Electronic Program Guide Should PEG Familiar with Guide? Schedule Be Included? 6 Yes 57.5% 82.9% No 42.5% 5.7% Don t Know N/A 11.4% Figure 15 Would You Like to Have the Public, Educational, and Government Access Program Schedule Included as Part of Comcast s Electronic Program Guide? Yes 82.9% No 5.7% Don't Know 11.4% 6 Asked only of those who were familiar with the Comcast EPG. 17
3.60 Customer Service Office Comcast currently operates and staffs a customer service office located at the Trade Winds Plaza on Cotuit Road and Route 130, where subscribers can pick-up or return equipment and pay bills. Respondents were asked how strongly they agree or disagree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office in Sandwich. More than two-thirds of respondents (67.6%) strongly agree that Comcast should continue to operate the customer service office, while 23.7 percent of respondents somewhat agree, 7.7 percent of respondents neither agree nor disagree, 0.3 percent of respondents somewhat disagree, and 0.7 percent of respondents strongly disagree (see Table 15 and Figure 16). Table 15 How Strongly Do You Agree or Disagree that Comcast Should Continue to Operate the Customer Service Office in Sandwich? Percent Strongly Agree 67.6% Somewhat Agree 23.7% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 7.7% Somewhat Disagree 0.3% Strongly Disagree 0.7% Figure 16 How Strongly Do You Agree or Disagree that Comcast Should Continue to Operate the Customer Service Office in Sandwich? 80.0% 67.6% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% Strongly Agree 23.7% Somewhat Agree 7.7% Neither Agree Nor Disagree 0.3% 0.7% Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree 18
3.70 Ability to Override Programming with Emergency Messages Respondents were asked if they would like Comcast to provide the Town of Sandwich with the ability to override programming with emergency messages on all cable system channels for Sandwich cable television subscribers. A large majority of respondents (94.2%) feel that Comcast should provide emergency officials with the ability to override cable programming, while 4.8 percent of respondents do not agree and 1.0 percent of respondents do not know (see Table 16 and Figure 17). Table 16 Should Comcast Provide Sandwich with the Ability to Override Programming On All Cable Channels with Emergency Messages for Cable Television Subscribers? Percent Yes 94.2% No 4.8% Don t Know 1.0% Figure 17 Yes 94.2% Should Comcast Provide Sandwich with the Ability to Override Programming On All Cable Channels with Emergency Messages for Cable Television Subscribers? No 4.8% Don't Know 1.0% 19
3.80 Senior Discounts 3.81 Who Should Receive Discount? Respondents 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. Over fifty-eight percent of respondents (58.4%) feel that a discount should be extended to all seniors regardless of need/income, while 38.5 percent of respondents indicate that the discount should be based on need/income and 3.1 percent of respondents do not know (see Table 17 and Figure 18). Table 17 Should Discount Be Provided to All Senior Citizens or to Seniors Based on Need/Income Level? Percent Discounts to All Seniors 58.4% Discount Based on Need 38.5% Don t Know 3.1% Figure 18 Should Discount Be Provided to All Senior Citizens or to Seniors Based on Need/Income Level? Discounts to All Seniors 58.4% Discount Based on Need 38.5% Don t Know 3.1% 20
3.82 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License? Respondents were asked if a senior discount should be part of the Town of Sandwich s new cable television renewal license. More than eighty-six percent of respondents (86.8%) indicate that a discount for seniors should be part of the Town of Sandwich s new cable television renewal license, while 7.9 percent of respondents disagree and 5.3 percent do not know (see Table 18 and Figure 19). Table 18 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License? Number Percent Yes 354 86.8% No 32 7.9% Don t Know 22 5.3% Figure 19 Should Senior Discount Be Part of the Town s New Cable Television Renewal License? Yes 86.8% No 7.9% Don t Know 5.3% 21
3.90 Reason Respondent Does not Subscribe to Comcast Cable and Respondent Comments 3.91 Reason Respondents Does Not Subscribe to Comcast Cable Non-subscribers (23.7%, N=128) 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. 7 On average, respondents most strongly agree that they do not subscribe to cable because they use a satellite dish to receive signals (4.8 average), the monthly bill is too high (4.1 average) and that the installation cost is too high (3.5 average). Respondents on average least agree that they do not subscribe to cable because they have no television/do not watch TV (1.1 average), Comcast cable is not available on their street (1.2 average), and that they use over the air signals only (1.9 average) (see Table 19 and Figure 20). Table 19 Reason for Not Subscribing to Comcast Cable Average Scale (1 to 5) Use a satellite dish to receive signals 4.8 Monthly bill is too high 4.1 Installation cost is too high 3.5 Use over-the-air signals only 1.9 Comcast cable not available 1.2 No television/does not watch TV 1.1 Figure 20 Reason for Not Subscribing to Comcast Cable Average on a Scale of 1 to 5 Use a satellite dish to receive signals 4.8 Monthly bill is too high 4.1 Installation cost is too high 3.5 Use over-the-air signals only 1.9 Comcast cable not available No television/does not watch TV 1.1 1.2 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 Strongly Disagree Strongly Agree 7 Due to the low number of responses for this question, conclusions should be made with caution. 22
Other reasons provided by subscribers that explain why they do not subscribe to Comcast include: Satellite a better value (N=24) Satellite has better programming (N=22) Better signal available through satellite (N=5) Do not like Comcast (N=4) Comcast has bad service (N=3) Poor reception [from Comcast] (N=2) Comcast could not fix closed captioning on TV so canceled contract Does not want children exposed to poor quality television 3.92 Additional Comments Respondents were asked to provide additional comments. The comments are numerous and varied with many relating to the cost of Comcast cable, programming, and various customer service issues: Comcast is too expensive/can t afford rates (N=15). Need competition/competition would be good for the town (N=14). Would like an a la carte [pricing] structure (N=8). Comcast too expensive for what they offer (N=5). Very happy with Comcast/overall service (N=5). Want the Hallmark channel back (N=5). Want Verizon FiOS to be available (N=4). Satellite is a much better deal/better programming (N=3). Senior discount should start at the age of 62 (N=3). Disappointed in Comcast's service (N=2). Dislike Comcast (N=2). Don t need cable (N=2). Doesn't understand why Comcast makes good offers to new customers but not existing customers (N=2). Price keeps rising but programming doesn't improve (N=2). Spanish channels should be for people who request it only (N=2). Want CSpan2 back on local cable (N=2). Want the Fox Business channel (N=2). 23
All seniors should have a discount on cable. Angry that Comcast is taking away Court TV and MSNBC on July 14th. Angry that three channels are being switched from analog to digital and would cost extra money to have. Annoyed that Comcast arbitrarily removed channels from Basic cable. Cable TV has too many poor-quality programs. Can't get a Motorola box in Sandwich (higher quality). Can only get Scientific American. The controls for Scientific American are too complicated for senior citizens. Motorola has a senior citizen box. Changed from Comcast [to satellite] because it had poor quality of programs and no customer service. Comcast is a good provider but competition would be good as well. Comcast is not forthcoming in regard to having a senior discount or lower option for basic cable/broadband. Comcast is too slow to respond to problems. Comcast packages are misleading; Less cooperative after signing a contract. Comcast is misleading consumers as to what is really available as far as separate paid packages. Customer service office should be open on Saturdays. Customer service people are rude and the repair people have poor technical skills. Don t like electronics- they are too complicated. Educational programming like PBS should replace unwanted channels. Every cable service should have a system like I-Net. Installation should be done by qualified persons. [The installer] was not a Comcast representative, just a contractor. Is leaving Comcast. Believes that charging $20 for a box for VOD is ridiculous and that Comcast is too expensive. It is difficult to get a local person for service and the 800 number is always changing and the location is out of state. Local Comcast assistance after 12 p.m. is a recording and not reliable. Keep the price down and the quality up. More staff needed at the Trade Winds Plaza. Long line and only one person helping people. [Comcast is] much better than Adelphi. Need to fix volume on channels. Some are too loud and others you can hardly hear. People should get involved in town meetings instead of watching TV. Refuse to pay for cable. 24
Seniors should not get discounts Should not have to pay for Premium NFL channel. Some people like to read books. The signal is too weak for multiple televisions. There are too many channels I don t watch in the packages. Too many infomercial channels. TV guide needs to come back and shouldn't have gone digital. Volume controls aren't very good. Went with Verizon to put it all on one bill. Wish Comcast would offer their local number rather than an 800 number for service. Would be willing to try Comcast if price and options were right, but has heard that satellite is a better deal. Would like channels that were previously available to come back (e.g. the Weather Channel and the TV Guide Channel). Would like Comcast to set up the cable like Fairhaven and Dartmouth. Would like international TV channels. Would like the NASA channel. Would like to see Imus on the Boston channel. Would like to see less of the same shows at the same time on multiple channels. 25