[Code 1991, § 9-186]
A franchisee shall provide subscriber service on the following
basis:
A. A franchisee shall not deny service or access to or otherwise discriminate
against persons, including subscribers and users, on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex. However, reduced
rates may be uniformly applied to elderly and handicapped subscribers.
B. In providing service, a franchisee shall:
(1) Provide a local toll-free telephone service capable of receiving
subscriber service complaints, on a seven-days-a-week, 24 hours-a-day
basis.
(2) Establish a maintenance service capable of promptly locating and
correcting system malfunctions. Service trucks shall be equipped for
voice communication with the franchisee's dispatcher. To permit rapid
response to any trunk outage, the franchisee shall have service trucks
available for emergency duty to repair system outages during nonbusiness
hours.
(3) Respond to customer complaints within 24 hours after receipt if possible,
but no later than the next business day. The franchisee shall make
planned system repairs and testing which would result in any interruption
of service to subscribers at times which are outside prime viewing
hours and will minimize disturbance of typical subscriber television
viewing habits. Subscribers should be notified in advance of such
planned repairs.
In those cases where services are not restored within 24 hours,
the reasons for the delay shall be fully documented in the complaint
log. If, after 24 hours, service is not restored to a subscriber,
a franchisee shall provide upon the oral or written request of the
subscriber a refund or credit to such subscriber as set forth in this
subsection for each full twenty-four-hour period of interrupted service
or fraction thereof following subscriber notification of the interruption.
The refund or credit for each such period shall be in the amount of
1/30 the monthly charge for each tier of service and each premium
service which is unavailable to the subscriber.
(4) Respond to billing complaints promptly. Written complaints shall
be responded to within five working days of receipt.
C. As subscribers are connected or reconnected to the system and when
changes are made, or at least on an annual basis for existing subscribers,
a franchisee shall by appropriate means, such as a brochure, furnish
general subscriber information, including but not limited to equipment
and services available, rates and terms of service, and procedures
for making inquiries or complaints (providing the name, address, and
local telephone number for making inquiries or complaints) and furnish
information concerning the City office responsible for the administration
of the franchise, including the address and telephone number of the
office. Such information to be distributed must be approved by the
City in advance.
D. When similar complaints have been made by a number of subscribers
or where other evidence exists which, in the judgment of the City,
casts doubt on the reliability or quality of the cable service, the
City shall have the right and authority to require that the franchisee
test, analyze, and report on the performance of the system.
[Code 1991, § 9-188]
A franchisee shall offer full cable television service to areas
of the City as specified in the franchise.
[Code 1991, § 9-189]
Protection of subscriber privacy shall be ensured consistent
with the provisions of 47 U.S.C. § 551.
[Code 1991, § 9-191]
If a franchisee continues to operate the system in a transitional
period following the expiration, revocation or other termination of
the franchise, it shall be bound by all the terms, conditions and
obligations of the franchise as if it were in full force and effect.
The terminating franchisee shall cooperate with the City and any subsequent
franchisee in maintaining and transferring service responsibility.
[Code 1991, § 9-192]
A franchisee shall provide equal opportunity in employment to
all qualified persons, and no person shall be discriminated against
in employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age
or sex. A franchisee shall establish, maintain, and carry out a positive,
continuing program of specific practices designed to ensure equal
opportunity in every aspect of company employment policy and practice.
A franchisee shall immediately comply with all federal, state and
local equal opportunity employment requirements and practices and
shall forthwith comply with any equal employment opportunity program
of the City.