HUNTINGTON -- Huntington City Council wants media giant Comcast to improve the cable and Internet services the company provides to residents.
The council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday requesting that company representatives meet with the governing body's telecommunications committee some time before Comcast's 10-year-old franchise agreement with the city expires in April.
The resolution indicates the agreement will be extended on a month-to-month basis until Comcast provides the committee with a plan for upgrades in customer service, cable packages and equipment.
The franchise agreement gives Comcast access to city rights-of-way and utility poles without having to obtain a permit. In return, the company pays Huntington 5 percent of its gross sales in the city. The fee has amounted to about $500,000 in each of the past two years, city Finance Director Bob Wilhelm said.
"I don't think any long-term agreement with a utility should be renewed without reviewing the terms and getting public input to see how services can be improved," said Councilman Cal Kent, the resolution's sponsor. "I have ideas of my own and many of my constituents have voiced what they would like to see changed as well."
Kent and others at the meeting were critical of the way Comcast bundles its cable packages. Many subscribers only want a few channels, but have to pay for a costly package to get them, he said. Audience members also complained of Comcast's high-speed Internet service, saying it goes down too often.
Kent said the new agreement also should require that Comcast televise Marshall University football games to all of its Huntington-area subscribers, regardless of whether they pay for the channel on which the game is carried.
Mayor David Felinton said he switched to a satellite dish after realizing Comcast's services in the Huntington are lacking when compared to other markets.
"It's a little bit insulting," he said. "I think our people deserve as good or better than anyone else.
Company representatives did not attend the meeting.
Felinton said the city's franchise agreement with Comcast was adopted when the company was known as Century. It doesn't preclude another cable company from coming into the market, but that is unlikely to happen, he said.
"Whoever that would be would have to put in a new cable infrastructure or work out a deal with Comcast to share lines," he said.
Councilman Paul Farrell, who is a lawyer, said he doubts Huntington has any negotiating power with Comcast. The current franchise agreement says the city doesn't have authority to regulate decisions regarding cable television programming.
In other business Monday:
- The council confirmed the appointment of Huntington Sanitary Board member Jack Klim to his first full term. Klim, who has served on the board for a few years, took over for a former member in the middle of their term.
The council also confirmed the appointment of Nate Randolph to the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority. Randolph is running for City Council as a Republican in District 4.
- Mayor David Felinton said the traffic light at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 13th Street will be out for several more weeks. The light has not worked since someone broke into the signal box a few weeks ago and stole copper wiring, he said.
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