Public Hearing Notice on Charter/Spectrum Franchise Renewal

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

2024 Charter/Spectrum Franchise Renewal

September 4, 2024 @ 6 pm

Notice is hereby given that the Town of Greenville will hold a Public Hearing on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Town of Greenville Municipal Building, 125 Main Street, Greenville, PA 16125.  This is a public hearing of the Town Council regarding cable franchise renewal for the Town of Greenville. This public hearing is held pursuant to Section 626 of the Federal Cable Act, which sets forth the process for franchise renewal. The Town’s current franchise with Charter/Spectrum is within the industry norm renewal window, and the Town is beginning the process of renewing the franchise.

This public hearing is part of the preliminary portion of franchise renewal in which the Town reviews the cable operator’s past performance and identifies the Town’s future cable-related community needs. As such, as part of this public hearing, we invite comments from any citizens who wish to speak regarding either or both of the aforementioned subjects.

Franchise renewal is the best opportunity for municipalities to assert their rights with respect to their cable operator and to obtain important benefits in return for granting the cable operator the right to use their public rights-of-way. These benefits include:

1. A State-of-the-Art Cable System now and in the future;

2. Strong Customer Service Standards;

3. Free Services to Community Facilities;

4. Better Reporting Requirements from the Cable Operators;

5. Maximized Franchise Fees;

6. Public, Educational and Governmental (PEG) Channel(s) (if desired);

7. PEG Capital Support Funding (if desired);

8. Legal Protections of the Rights-of-Way; and

9. Better Mechanisms to Enforce the Franchise Agreement.

These are just some of the potential benefits available through franchise renewal. Citizens may address these items or any other cable-related items that are important to them.