[R.O. 2011 § 670.270; R.O. 2009
§ 111.050; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
This Chapter incorporates technical
standards and establishes customer service practices that a grantee
must satisfy. In addition, a grantee shall satisfy any additional
or stricter customer service requirements established by FCC regulations
or other Federal, State or local law or regulation that may be adopted
or amended from time to time. A grantee shall maintain such equipment
and keep such records as required to comply with all customer service
and technical standards required by these regulations and other applicable
laws. Grantee shall at all times assist and cooperate with grantor
in explaining, interpreting and understanding such reports.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.280; R.O. 2009
§ 111.051; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
The technical standards used in the
operation of a system shall comply, at minimum, with the technical
standards promulgated by the FCC relating to cable systems pursuant
to the FCC's rules and regulations and found in Title 47, Sections
76.601 to 76.617, as may be amended or modified from time to time,
which regulations are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The most recent results of any tests required by the FCC, this Chapter
or a franchise agreement shall be made available to the City upon
written request.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.290; R.O. 2009
§ 111.052; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Tests for a system shall be performed
periodically in a manner so as to conform with FCC specifications.
The tests may be witnessed by representatives of the City and written
test reports shall be made available to the City upon request. If
any test locations fail to meet the performance standards, the grantee
shall be required to indicate what corrective measures have been taken
and shall have the site retested.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.300; R.O. 2009
§ 111.053; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Each grantee must provide emergency
alert override capabilities in a manner consistent with the FCC's
emergency alert system ("EAS") rules and consistent with any State
and/or regional emergency alert system plans adopted in response to
the FCC's EAS rules that are applicable to the franchise area.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.310; R.O. 2009
§ 111.054; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Each grantee shall provide broad
programming from each of the broad programming categories identified
in its franchise agreement. All programming decisions remain within
the sole discretion of each grantee, provided that each grantee complies
with Federal law regarding notice to grantor and subscribers prior
to any channel additions, deletions or realignments and further subject
to the grantee's signal carriage obligations pursuant to 47 U.S.C.
§§ 531 through 536, as may be amended and subject to
the City's rights pursuant to 47 U.S.C. §§ 545, as
may be amended.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.320; R.O. 2009
§ 111.055; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. Every grantee shall maintain an office
within the City, which shall include a place where subscribers may
pay their bills, pick up and return converter boxes and comparable
items and receive information on the grantee and its services. Such
service office shall be open during normal business hours or as specifically
agreed in the franchise agreement. Every grantee shall also maintain
a publicly listed toll-free or collect call telephone access line
that is available to subscribers twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven
(7) days a week. The local or toll-free numbers including any local
office in the City of Saint Charles shall be listed in all widely
utilized local phone directories.
B. Every grantee shall have trained representatives
on hand at the office for walk-in subscriber visits and available
to respond to subscriber inquiries during normal business hours or
as specifically agreed in the franchise agreement. Telephone inquiries
may be handled at the grantee's headend location or at any other customer
service office of the grantee. Calls may also be processed through
a grantee's regional call center, provided that there are no delays
or other reductions in standards, either for telephone answering or
in dispatch of repair technicians. A grantee's regional call center
shall meet all customer service standards for City residents as provided
for herein and/or in a franchise agreement.
C. All employees of the grantee shall give
their first name, when answering an incoming call or inquiry and shall
provide their employee ID number upon request including when working
in the field. The employee shall repeat their company ID number if
requested by the subscriber.
D. Supervisory personnel must use their best
efforts to respond to subscriber requests to speak with a "manager
or supervisor" within two (2) hours of the request under normal operating
conditions, during normal business hours and supervisory personnel
will respond no later than the following business day. The grantee
shall keep a report log of such requests available for review by the
City.
E. Subscriber reports of offensive language
or conduct towards subscribers by grantee employees may be a factor
in determining the ability of the grantee to meet the community needs
and to evaluate the performance of the grantee under its franchise.
F. After normal business hours, the telephone
access line may be answered by a service or an automated response
system, including an answering machine. Inquiries received after normal
business hours must be responded to by a trained representative on
the next business day.
G. The grantee shall prepare and distribute
to the grantor a calendar of holidays and business days on which the
operator will be closed. Grantee shall also provide notice to subscribers
through answering service/machine, voice mail messages, bill messages
or through its cable system regarding hours or dates when its offices
will not be open. Such notice shall be provided during the five (5)
days prior to the date the office will be closed. In addition, during
such "closed" periods, the grantee shall provide voice messages and
notice on its premises of the emergency and after hours contact numbers.
H. Under normal operating conditions, telephone
answer time by a customer service representative or automated response
unit, including wait time, shall not exceed sixty (60) seconds. If
a call must be placed on hold or transferred, the time for response
by a human customer service representative shall not exceed an additional
sixty (60) seconds.
Under normal operating conditions,
these standards shall be met no less then ninety-five percent (95%)
of the time measured daily, averaged monthly and reported at least
semi-annually. Under normal operating conditions, subscribers shall
not receive a busy signal more than three percent (3%) of the time.
I. Abandonment rates for incoming calls may
not exceed five percent (5%).
J. The period of three (3) hours following
major outages [more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the subscribers]
or periods of natural disasters are not included in the response requirements
above, provided that voice-mail information about the outage has been
posted on phone answering equipment and on any system bulletin board
(assuming outage is not City-wide). The City shall be notified that
an outage is in progress as soon as is reasonably possible, including
beginning and ending times, area of outage, location and cause of
problem.
K. Actions or negligence of the grantee which
lead to a high volume of calls (such as incorrect bills, rate increases,
late bills or fees, changes in service, plant maintenance, missed
appointments, etc.) are considered part of normal operating conditions
and are therefore not exempt from compliance with this Chapter.
L. Grantee shall respond to all subscriber
or user inquiries or complaints within five (5) business days of the
inquiry or complaint, except to the extent a more stringent standard
is set forth for specific types of activities, inquiries or complaints
herein or in the franchise agreement.
1.
"Response" to the inquiry or complaint
shall include correction of bills, completion of service calls or
installations.
M. If a historical record of complaints demonstrates
a clear failure on the part of a grantee to comply with the above
requirements, the grantor may require the grantee to provide documentation
of compliance with the requirements of this Section.
1.
Any grantee subject to such a documentation
requirement on a semi-annual basis shall provide the grantor with
reports for hold time, busy signals and abandonment rate.
2.
The grantee and the grantor will
meet by the 20th of the month following such intervals in order for
the grantee to submit monthly phone statistics and to explain the
report for the period. If such information is not available, a detailed
written explanation as to why such information is not available and
a date certain upon which such information will be available shall
be provided by the grantee.
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The grantor using the remedies and enforcement procedures of Sections 670.690 through 690.760 of this Chapter may allow periods of excused non-compliance if the grantee can provide reasonable documentation that these periods of non-compliance were not within normal operating conditions. The grantee will be deemed in compliance if:
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a.
During a semi-annual period each
criterion has been met or exceeded; or
b.
If each criterion has been met or
exceeded during four (4) consecutive months within the semi-annual
period.
N. The grantee is encouraged to maintain a
customer service home page on the Internet where customers can obtain
information.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.330; R.O. 2009
§ 111.056; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. Under normal operating conditions, each
of the following standards must be met no less than ninety-five percent
(95%) of the time as measured on a quarterly basis:
1.
Unless requested by the subscriber,
a grantee shall perform service calls, installations and requested
changes in service (upgrades, downgrades, equipment changes, disconnections)
during normal business hours. Disconnections for non-payment may only
be performed during normal business hours. In addition, maintenance
service capability enabling the prompt location and correction of
substantial system malfunctions or outages shall be available twenty-four
(24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week.
2.
At the time an appointment is scheduled,
the grantee shall inform the subscriber of service procedures, required
payments and appointment and/or possible rescheduling/cancellation.
3.
If a grantee cannot perform standard
installations within seven (7) business days of request by a subscriber
(provided that the schedule or preferences of the person requesting
the standard installation has not been responsible for the delay),
the subscriber may request and is entitled to receive a free standard
installation. If a grantee fails to provide this free standard installation
and the request was made by the subscriber within thirty (30) days
of the standard installation request, the grantor may direct the grantee
to issue a credit for the standard installation. Failure to comply
with such a directive shall subject a grantee to appropriate enforcement
actions. This Section shall not apply to the introduction of new products
and services when a grantee is utilizing a phased introduction.
4.
The appointment window alternatives
for standard installations, service calls and other installation activities
will be within a maximum four-hour time block during normal business
hours. Grantees may schedule service calls and other installation
activities outside of normal business hours for the express convenience
of a subscriber, if so requested.
5.
No grantee may cancel an appointment
with a subscriber after the close of business on the business day
prior to the scheduled appointment.
6.
If a grantee's representative is
running late for an appointment with a subscriber and will not be
able to keep the appointment as scheduled, the subscriber must be
contacted and if the appointment must be rescheduled, it shall be
rescheduled to the earliest time that is convenient for the subscriber.
7.
The grantee may phone the subscriber
within the appointment window to verify that the appointment is still
needed. If the subscriber telephone is answered by a machine or service,
the grantee must leave a message with a direct or separate dispatch
number the subscriber may use to call back to confirm or reschedule
the appointment.
8.
Appointments may not be canceled
or rescheduled until field personnel of the grantee make every reasonable
effort to verify that the subscriber or other authorized adult is
not at the address for the appointment, including the following actions:
a.
Knock and use the doorbell to alert
the subscriber; and
b.
Look in the front or back yard as
long as such action can be accomplished without trespassing on the
subscriber's property and without subjecting the grantee's representative
to physical danger (e.g., dogs).
9.
Upon verification that a subscriber
is not at the address during the scheduled appointment window, the
grantee shall leave a door tag or similar notice with the name of
the person leaving the notice, the time the person determined that
the subscriber was not at home, and a direct dispatch number the subscriber
may call back to confirm or reschedule an appointment.
10.
Any vehicle used for the installation,
construction, maintenance or repair of a cable system shall bear the
identification of the contractor or the applicable grantee in a conspicuous
place and manner.
11.
Reconnections due to erroneous disconnection
based on billing or technical errors must be completed at no charge
within twenty-four (24) hours of notification by the affected subscriber.
12.
Reconnections after a disconnection attributed to non-payment of bills shall be completed, after satisfaction of all payment obligations, in accordance with grantee's standard installation practices under Section
670.330(A)(3) of this Chapter.
13.
Installations or reconnections may
not be considered completed nor may customer be billed for services
until all ordered, upgraded or reconnected services are in full working
order.
14.
A subscriber's preference as to the
point of entry into a residence shall be observed whenever feasible.
a.
Runs in building interiors shall
be as unobtrusive as possible and outlets shall be located for the
convenience of the subscriber.
b.
The grantee shall use due care in
the process of installation and shall repair any damage to the subscriber's
property caused by installation work. Such restoration shall be undertaken
as soon as possible after the damage is incurred, shall be subject
to subscriber approval of the corrective action and grantee shall
use its best efforts to complete the corrective action within no more
than thirty (30) days after the damage is incurred.
c.
Should such restoration not be corrected
within thirty (30) days, the grantee shall notify the City and the
subscriber as to the cause for the delay and the date when such action
shall be completed.
15.
Failure of the grantee to maintain
adequate budget, sufficient staff or properly trained staff shall
not constitute justification for failure to comply with these provisions.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.340; R.O. 2009
§ 111.057; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. Under normal operating conditions every
grantee will begin working on service interruptions and outages within
a reasonable time frame, but in no event later than twenty-four (24)
hours after the service interruption becomes known. Every grantee
must begin actions to correct other service problems on the business
day following notification of such service problems.
1.
Any reports of "no picture/no sound"
must be responded to and repaired within twenty-four (24) hours of
such report, including arrival of another service technician qualified
to repair the problem if the first dispatched technician cannot.
2.
Work not requiring the operator to
enter subscriber premises (or property) shall not require the subscriber
to be available for an appointment and shall not be delayed on account
of the grantee's inability to arrange an appointment with the subscriber.
B. Work on all other requests for service,
excluding conditions beyond the control of grantee, must begin by
the next business day after notification of the problem and must ordinarily
be completed within seventy-two (72) hours of the initial request.
If for reasons beyond the grantee's control a longer time for the
completion of such repairs is necessitated, the grantee shall exercise
all due diligence to complete the work in the shortest period of time
possible. The lack of appropriate replacement parts on hand shall
not constitute a condition beyond the grantee's control.
C. Outside repairs to cable plant which cannot
be made by the initial service technician dispatched shall under normal
operating conditions be rescheduled within twenty-four (24) hours
of the originally scheduled service call. The subscriber does not
need to be home for outside plant and line repairs.
D. A grantee may interrupt service only for
good cause and for the shortest time possible, including interruption
for system upgrade, maintenance and repair. Routine maintenance shall
occur at times that affect the fewest number of subscribers, generally
between 12:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M., unless the grantee can justify on
the basis of reasonable safety precautions that such maintenance should
be performed at a different time. The grantee shall post override
notices on the system's channels to advise subscribers in advance
of planned service interruptions. To the extent that specific neighborhoods
will be affected by a planned outage, such as during an upgrade, the
grantee shall provide advance notice through telephone calls and/or
door hangers.
E. A grantee shall automatically provide a
credit equivalent to one-half (1/2) day's cable rate for each service
interruption exceeding four (4) hours in any twenty-four-hour period,
unless it is demonstrated that the subscriber caused the outage or
the outage was planned as part of an upgrade or other work that occurred
between the hours of 12:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. of which the City and
the subscriber received appropriate prior notification. A subscriber
is entitled to a full refund for any cable system or equipment impairment
to a pay-per-view event. These credits and refunds shall be made available
upon request by subscriber.
F. Technicians that are employed by a grantee
and capable of performing service-related emergency repairs and maintenance
must be available twenty-four (24) hours a day, including weekends
and holidays.
G. No charge shall be made to a subscriber
for any service call relating to grantee owned and grantee maintained
equipment after the initial installation of cable service unless the
problem giving rise to the service request can be demonstrated by
grantee to have been:
1.
Caused by the negligence or malicious
destruction of cable equipment by the subscriber; or
2.
Problem established as having been
non-cable in origin.
H. An "identified outage" is construed as
reports of no picture/no sound from five (5) or more subscribers in
close geographic proximity or along the same trunk or feeder line
within twenty (20) minutes of each other.
I. The grantee shall take timely measures
to post appropriate messages to its subscribers regarding identified
outages on its automatic response unit or phone system. Such messages
should also provide instructions for subscribers whose navigation
devices may have become deauthorized as a result of the outage. Periods
of natural disasters are not included in this requirement.
J. Within one (1) hour of an identified outage,
service technicians will respond and use all available means to correct
the outage in the shortest possible amount of time.
K. Cable drop lines, cable trunk lines or
any other type of outside wiring that comprise part of the grantee's
cable system that are located underground shall be placed in such
locations pursuant to City Code and the surrounding ground shall be
restored as close as is practical to its condition immediately prior
to such underground construction activity within seventy-two (72)
hours after connection to the cable system. Except for the grantee's
maintenance facilities, no cable drop line, cable trunk line or any
other type of outside wiring shall be permitted to lay upon the ground
within the City, except for the express purpose of being immediately
connected to the cable system of the grantee. The requirements of
this Subsection shall apply to all installation, reinstallation, service
or repair commenced by the grantee within the City during normal operating
conditions.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.350; R.O. 2009
§ 111.058; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. If any subscriber fails to pay a properly
due monthly subscriber fee or any other properly due fee or charge,
a grantee may disconnect the subscriber's outlet; provided however,
that such disconnection shall not be effected until after the later
of:
1.
Thirty (30) days after the due date
of said delinquent fee or charge; or
2.
Fifteen (15) days after delivery
to subscriber of written notice of the intent to disconnect.
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If a subscriber pays before expiration of the later of Subsection (A)(1) or (2), the grantee shall not disconnect; provided, however, that this Section does not apply to subscribers disconnected as a result of insufficient funds.
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B. No subscriber may be disconnected without
prior notice consisting, at a minimum, of two (2) of the following
types of notices given at least five (5) business days prior to disconnection.
1.
Messages in bold or large type on
current bill;
2.
Postcards, other mailings or obvious
bill stuffers;
C. If requested, a grantee will allow a subscriber
at least fifteen (15) days to resolve a disputed bill or to conduct
an investigation concerning a lost payment prior to disconnection.
D. No subscriber may be disconnected for non-payment
if payment of outstanding balances is made before the scheduled date
for disconnection, up to and including the last business day before
the scheduled disconnection.
E. No subscriber may be disconnected due to
a grantee's failure to timely or correctly post payments.
F. No subscriber may be disconnected outside
of normal business hours or on Sundays or holidays.
G. Prior to disconnecting service, the technician
performing the disconnection must attempt to reach the subscriber
on site by knocking or ringing at the front door or contacting other
residents on the premises.
H. In the situation where the subscriber is
not home but the residence is in the care and control of another person,
the grantee shall allow such person to contact the subscriber prior
to disconnection.
I. Disconnections for non-payment which are
completed in the field must be accompanied by a door tag which provides
notice that the technician has been present and a telephone number
for grantee's customer service office. Disconnections made remotely
by computer require the grantee to mail information describing the
amount of payment in arrears as of the disconnection date and applicable
reconnection charges and procedures to the subscriber at least five
(5) business days prior to the actual disconnection. After disconnection,
upon payment by the subscriber of all proper charges in full, the
grantee shall reinstate service as provided for herein.
J. Absent extenuating circumstances, a grantee
is not required to reconnect a subscriber with an undisputed outstanding
balance.
K. A grantee is permitted to refuse orders
for premium or "pay per view" services from subscribers with chronic
non-payment records.
L. A grantee may disconnect subscriber premises
that are responsible for signal leakage in excess of applicable Federal
limits. Grantee may effectuate such disconnection without advance
notice, provided that the grantee shall immediately notify the subscriber
with door tags and/or telephone calls. If the source of the signal
leakage is remedied, the grantee shall reconnect the subscriber at
no charge. For purposes of this Section, use of FCC-approved navigation
devices does not in and of itself constitute signal leakage.
M. Subscribers may request disconnection or
a downgrade of cable service at any time. The grantee may not impose
any charge for service delivered after the requested date of disconnection.
As provided under Federal law, subscribers may request a downgrade
at no charge if made within thirty (30) days of a rate increase.
N. If a grantee fails to provide cable service
requested by a subscriber who is entitled to cable service under a
franchise agreement or this Chapter, the grantee shall, after adequate
notification and being afforded the opportunity to provide the service,
promptly refund all deposits or advance charges paid for the service
in question by said subscriber.
O. All grantees must take reasonable steps
to ensure that subscribers understand the terms and obligations of
their subscription agreements in advance.
P. Credits for service shall be issued no
later than the subscriber's next billing cycle after determination
that the credit is warranted.
Q. The refund provisions provided for in this
Section do not alter a grantee's responsibility to subscribers under
any separate contractual agreement or relieve a grantee of any other
liability.
R. Subscribers may be asked, but not required
as a condition of any refund or return of subscriber deposits, to
personally return such equipment to the grantee's office.
S. Refunds for known system outages shall
be obtained by request of the subscriber to the grantee.
T. Nothing in this Chapter shall limit the
right of a grantee to deny service to any household or individual
which has a negative credit or service history with grantee, which
may include non-payment of bills, theft or damage to the grantee's
equipment, outstanding balances or threats or assaults on employees
of grantee in the course of their employment. In the event service
is denied, the grantee will give notice to the subscriber of the right
to contact the appropriate authority as designated by the City.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.360; R.O. 2009
§ 111.059; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. Notifications To Subscribers.
1.
Every grantee shall provide written
information to subscribers on each of the following topics at the
time of installation, at least annually to all subscribers, at any
time upon request and at least ten (10) days prior to making significant
changes in such information:
a.
Product and services offered;
b.
Prices and options for programming
services and conditions of subscription to programming and other services
and facilities. To avoid confusion as to the total cost of cable service,
at the time of subscription for service, upon request all subscribers
must be quoted prices that include franchise fees and any other fixed
costs (such as FCC regulatory fees and public access support payments).
Nothing in this Section prohibits or restricts use of rates without
franchise fees and/or other fixed cost elements in area-wide advertisements;
c.
Installation and maintenance policies
including, when applicable, information regarding the subscriber's
home wiring rights and information describing ownership of internal
wiring during the period service is provided;
d.
Instructions on how to use services;
e.
Instructions on how to place a service
call;
f.
Channel positions of programming
offered on a system;
g.
Billing and complaint procedures,
including the name, address and telephone number of the City;
h.
A copy of the service contract if
any;
i.
The availability of signal control
devices and universal remotes and other compatible equipment (a list
of brands and models shall be provided upon request);
j.
The grantee's practices and procedures
for protecting against invasions of privacy pursuant to applicable
law;
k.
The address and telephone number
of the grantee's office to which complaints may be reported; and
l.
The method and/or location by which
notification of changes to services, rates and other alterations will
be made to subscribers and the community.
2.
Grantee promotional materials, announcements
and advertising of service to subscribers, including pay-per-view
or event programming, shall conform to applicable laws governing such
advertising and clearly and accurately disclose price terms. In the
case of telephone orders, the grantee shall take appropriate steps
to ensure that price terms are clearly and accurately disclosed to
potential customers before the order is accepted.
3.
Subscribers will be given thirty
(30) days' advance notice of any changes in rates, programming services
or channel positions; or as soon as possible through announcements
on the cable system and in writing, if such changes are within the
grantees control. All such notice shall be provided in such a manner
as to be realistically effective in bringing the information to the
subscriber's attention. In addition, every grantee shall notify subscribers
thirty (30) days in advance of any significant changes in other information
required by this Section.
B. Billing.
1.
The grantor shall be furnished an
advance copy of any changes in the billing format.
2.
Bills must be clear, concise and
understandable. Bills must be fully itemized with itemizations including,
but not limited to, basic and premium service charges and equipment
charges.
3.
Bills must clearly show a specific
payment due date.
4.
If a grantee chooses to itemize as
a separate line item on bills, franchise fees or other government
imposed fees attributable to the total bill, such fees must be shown
in accordance with any applicable law concerning the grantee's ability
to itemize such fees. In delineating the portion of the bill attributable
to franchise fees or other government imposed fees on the grantee,
the nomenclature used in the bill to indicate these elements shall
be correct, truthful and reflect the actual source and use of such
funds.
5.
Bills must also clearly delineate
all activity during the billing period, including optional charges,
rebates and credits. Nothing in this Section prohibits or restricts
a grantee from offering packages of programming to subscribers and
to identify such packages on the subscriber bill.
6.
The billing statement must clearly
and conspicuously indicate the past due date and, if applicable, the
action a subscriber must take to avoid disconnection and a telephone
number for the subscriber to call to make payment arrangements or
otherwise resolve a billing dispute.
7.
Negative option billing is prohibited
in accordance with applicable law.
C. Late Payment For Cable Service.
1.
Each bill shall specify on its face,
if applicable, any fee(s) for late payment.
2.
All processing fees for late payment,
however denominated, shall be consistent with applicable law
D. Construction And Outages. The grantee shall
provide messages on its cable system, to the extent feasible, to advise
subscribers in advance of planned construction or maintenance that
will cause or is likely to cause service interruptions. To the extent
that specific neighborhoods will be effected by a planned outage,
such as during an upgrade, the grantee shall provide not less than
two (2) nor more than seven (7) days' advance notice through telephone
calls and/or door hangers.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.370; R.O. 2009
§ 111.060; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Subject to the privacy provisions
of 47 U.S.C. § 521 et seq., grantor and every grantee shall
prepare and maintain written records of all complaints made to them
and the resolution of such complaints, including the date of such
resolution. Such written records shall be on file at the office of
each grantee. Every grantee shall make available to grantor a written
summary of such complaints and their resolution upon request.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.380; R.O. 2009
§ 111.061; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Every grantee shall make available
to any subscriber upon request a "lockout" device for blocking both
video and audio portions of any channel(s) of programming entering
the subscriber's premises. Such device may be provided at a rate,
if any, authorized by applicable law. The grantee may, however, require
a reasonable security deposit for the use of such a device.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.390; R.O. 2009
§ 111.062; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Pursuant to the terms of the individual
franchise agreement, the grantor and grantee may adopt requirements
related to the conducting and funding of periodic subscriber surveys.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.400; R.O. 2009
§ 111.063; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. No resident shall be refused service arbitrarily.
The specific line extension policy for each grantee shall be contained
within the applicable franchise agreement.
B. Each franchise agreement shall establish
policies for the extension of cable service in areas where there is
a lesser density of dwelling units than the proscribed minimum density
under the applicable line extension policy.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.410; R.O. 2009
§ 111.064; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
Upon the request of mobility-limited
subscribers, a grantee shall arrange for delivery, pickup or exchange
or replacement of converters or other equipment at the subscriber's
address or by the use of a satisfactory equivalent means such as provision
of a pre-paid postage mailer.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.420; R.O. 2009
§ 111.065; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
A. In addition to the semi-annual reports on telephone service compliance detailed in Section
670.320(M) of this Chapter, the grantor may require a grantee to periodically prepare and furnish to grantor semi-annual reports and any other reasonable information relevant to the grantee's compliance with the customer service requirements of this Chapter. Such reports shall include, at minimum, the following:
1.
The number of free standard installations
that were issued for failure to arrive on a timely basis for standard
installations.
2.
Service interruptions report that
tracks information on a monthly basis to include:
a.
Total number of service interruptions;
b.
Date and time of all service interruptions;
c.
Total hours that the system was out-of-service
as related to planned upgrades, maintenance or channel line-up changes
performed by a grantee; and
d.
Estimated number of subscribers affected
by each incident.
3.
Results of any FCC technical or performance
testing on the system required under the terms of this Chapter or
the FCC's rules.
[R.O. 2011 § 670.430; R.O. 2009
§ 111.066; Ord. No. 01-125, 6-20-2001]
In addition to free outlets, free
cable service or services otherwise required by the franchise, grantee
shall provide one (1) service outlet (which shall be at the Cable
Administrator's office at City Hall, unless otherwise specified by
City) that shall receive without charge all non-premium programming
provided by grantee. Such service shall be provided in such a manner
that the City may monitor the programming and use of the cable system
for compliance with the franchise, this Chapter, FCC technical standards
and applicable State and Federal law. The services provided pursuant
to this requirement shall be in a secure office location and not in
a location open to public viewing.