Holyoke - Effective July 16, 2008, ComCast has decimated the basic service package that offers local subscribers a low cost alternative to the otherwise extremely high prices they offer for the digital packages. Holyoke is disproportionately lower income versus other communities in Western Massachusetts and is especially sensitive to this change. Allegedly, they are doing this so people can buy more High Definition channels which is great but what about those who cannot afford a $50+ package. ComCast claims to be committed to the community but then does stuff like this that is strictly designed at increasing their bottom line regardless of how many people are harmed!
"God's Word is Eternal, but apparently ComCast's word is only good for 11 Years."
No less disturbing in all of this is ComCast's blatant breach of an agreement they had with the City in 1997 with respect to the broadcasting of EWTN. This widely popular Catholic Channel was promised to the people of Holyoke as far back as the 1980's with Contential Cablevision and MediaOne. Until 1997, it was broadcast 24 hours day. ComCast then made the decision that it was only going to be run it part-time by sharing the same Channel 21 with the Inspiration Network, which is a fine channel in its own right.
Quickly, ComCast put up the same straw man arguments as they are now saying nothing can be done we are just giving you what people want. So to convince them of their misguided ways and to demonstrate that Holyokers and people throughout Western Massachusetts wanted EWTN a massive organizational effort was undertaken. During that process, over 6000 signatures were collected in support of EWTN; including, over 3000 in Holyoke. Large volumes of letters and phone calls were generated, as well as, media attention.
During the process of the 1997 ComCast contract negotiations with the city, then Mayor Danny Szostkiewicz showed real leadership and reached an accord with ComCast that in lieu of a public access channel that ComCast would broadcast EWTN on Channel 23 during the switch over hours when EWTN was not playing on Channel 21. Holyoke gave up its public access channel for this specific purpose. ComCast knows this. Most communities have 3 channels for what is called PEG Access purposes. PEG Access stands for Public Access, Educational Access and Government Access. The Education channel is on Channel 12 and our Government Channel is Channel 15. In the midst of ComCast's haste to remove EWTN, they have also taken without justification our would be Public Access Channel on Channel 23. Public Access channels are required by federal law to be broadcast as part of the basic service package.
In sum, ComCast has broken their promise to broadcast EWTN and has stolen from us our public access channel effectively leaving Holyoke left holding the bag. Under no circumstances, can this be tolerated.
Thousands of our fellow Holyokers and people throughout Western MA are now being deprived of this precious religious programming. Inspiration channel has also been removed and as a result all religious programming has been removed from the more affordable basic tier. This is alarming and is disturbing especially from a company that purports to listen to its customers and is allegedly family friendly.
I encourage all Holyoke residents to call ComCast's Government Affairs Representative Stephen Fitzgibbons at (413) 730-4513 and demand EWTN be restored to the basic tier back on our public access Channel 23!
I also encourage Holyokers to call Mayor Sullivan at (413) 322-5510 and ask that he lend his support to getting ComCast to restore our public access channel so it can be used for EWTN!
If you would like more information on this issue and the on-going fight to preserve EWTN and protect our cable subscribers on fixed income, please call me at (413) 538-5519 or email me or call Paula Brunault at (413) 534-1596. Paula has been the leader on this issue for many years and we are lucky to have her fighting for us again!
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