In accordance with applicable law, a grantee shall make available
leased access channels to assure that the widest possible diversity
of information sources are made available to subscribers. Such channels
shall be specifically designated for leased access use by persons
unaffiliated with the grantee, at rates which are fair and reasonable.
The number of such channels shall be determined by applicable law.
Unless otherwise provided in a franchise agreement:
A. A grantee shall put, keep and maintain all parts of a cable system
in good condition throughout the term of a franchise.
B. Upon the reasonable request for service by any person located within
a grantee's franchise area, the grantee shall, within 60 days,
furnish the requested service to such person within the terms of any
franchise line extension policy. A request for service shall be unreasonable
for the purpose of this subsection if no trunk line installation capable
of servicing the person's property has as yet been installed.
C. A grantee shall render efficient service, make repairs promptly and
interrupt service only for good cause and for the shortest time possible.
Such interruptions, to the maximum extent practicable, shall be preceded
by notice and shall occur during periods of minimal cable system use.
D. A grantee shall not allow its cable system or other operations to
interfere with television reception of subscribers or persons not
served by the grantee, nor shall a cable system interfere with, obstruct
or hinder in any manner the operation of the various utilities serving
the residents within the confines of the Town of Galena.
E. A grantee shall provide and maintain a toll-free telephone access
line available to subscribers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or
a comparable customer service communication system. Trained representatives
shall be available to respond to customer inquiries during normal
business hours.
F. Under normal operating conditions, telephone answer time, including
wait time and the time required to transfer the call, shall not exceed
60 seconds. This standard shall be met no less than 90% of the time
as measured on a quarterly basis.
G. Standard installations will be performed within seven business days
after an order has been placed. A standard installation is one that
is within 125 feet of an existing cable system.
H. Excluding those situations which are beyond its control, a grantee
will respond to any service interruption promptly and in no event
later than 24 hours from the time the interruption becomes known.
All other regular service requests will be responded to the next business
day after notification of the service problem. The appointment window
alternatives for installations, service calls and other installation
activities will be "morning" or "afternoon," not to exceed a four-hour
window during normal business hours, or at a time that is mutually
acceptable to a grantee and a customer. A grantee will schedule supplemental
hours during which appointments can be scheduled based on the needs
of the community served. If at any time an installer or technician
is running late, an attempt to contact the customer will be made and
the appointment rescheduled as necessary at a time that is convenient
to the customer.
I. A customer service center(s) and bill payment facility(ies) shall
be conveniently located for subscribers and open for walk-in customer
transactions during normal business hours. A grantee may, in its sole
discretion, establish supplemental hours on weekdays and/or weekends
if it would fit the needs of the community served.
J. In the event of an outage of subscriber cable service, the following
shall apply after proper notification to a grantee:
(1) For outages of over six consecutive hours and up to seven days, the
grantee shall provide, at a subscriber's written request, a credit
of 1/30 of one month's fees for affected services for each twenty-four-hour
period service is interrupted for six consecutive or more hours for
any single subscriber, with the exception of: subscribers disconnected
because of nonpayment; excessive signal leakage; or circumstances
beyond grantee's reasonable control.
(2) For outages of seven days or more in one month which have been properly
reported in writing to the grantee and which are within the reasonable
control of the grantee, the grantee shall provide, at a subscriber's
written request, a credit for service to affected subscribers in accordance
with the grantee's billing and refund policies.
K. For outages of over six consecutive hours and up to seven days, the
grantee shall provide, at a subscriber's written request, a credit
of 1/30 of one month's fees for affected services for each twenty-four-hour
period service is interrupted for six consecutive or more hours for
any single subscriber, with the exception of subscribers disconnected
because of nonpayment; excessive signal leakage; or circumstances
beyond the grantee's reasonable control. A grantee will provide
written information in each of the following areas at the time of
installation and at any future time upon the request of the customer:
(1) Product and services offered;
(2) Prices and cable service options;
(3) Installation and service policies; and
(4) How to use the cable service.
L. Bills will be clear, concise and understandable, with all services
itemized consistent with applicable law.
M. Credits will be issued promptly, but no later than a customer's
next billing cycle following the resolution of the request and the
return of equipment to a grantee if service has been terminated.
N. Unless otherwise specified by FCC regulations, customers and the
Town will be notified a minimum of 30 days in advance of any rate
or programming channel change, provided that the change is within
the control of a grantee.
O. A grantee shall continue, through the term of a franchise, to maintain
the technical standards and quality of service specified in this chapter.
Should the Town find, by resolution of the Mayor and Council of the
Town of Galena, that a grantee has failed to maintain these technical
standards and quality of service, then the grantee shall be required
to implement a plan for resolution.
P. A grantee shall keep a record of monthly service calls which will
indicate the nature of each service complaint received in the past
12 months, the date it was received, the disposition of said complaint,
and the date thereof. Upon reasonable notice, such records shall be
made available to the Town for inspection.
Q. All personnel of a grantee contacting subscribers or potential subscribers
outside the office of the grantee must be clearly identified as associated
with the grantee.
R. The provisions of §
59-40 notwithstanding, in the event a grantee fails to arrive for installations and/or service calls within the scheduled four-hour time frame set forth in this chapter under normal operating conditions less than 90% of the time as measured on a quarterly basis, then the Town may impose a monetary penalty upon the grantee. The amount of such monetary penalty shall be established by resolution of the Mayor and Council of the Town of Galena. Prior to imposition of the penalty, the Town shall notify the grantee in writing of the alleged default. Upon receipt of the notice, the grantee shall have a sixty-day period in which to correct the default, or it may elect to pay such penalty, in which event the act or omission giving rise to the penalty shall not be the basis for any other sanction by the Town. In the alternative, a grantee shall have the right to request a hearing affording due process before the Mayor and Council of the Town of Galena to determine whether the penalty should be imposed. The imposition of any such penalty shall be stayed pending the final outcome of such proceeding.
A grantee shall provide, for sale or lease, to subscribers,
upon request, a parental control locking device or digital code that
permits inhibiting the video and audio portions of any channels offered
by the grantee.