Cable Television Community Needs and Interests Ascertainment
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REPORT ON CABLE TELEVISION-RELATED NEEDS AND INTERESTS ASCERTAINMENT FOR FREDERICK COUNTY, MARYLAND By CBG Communications, Inc. Thomas G. Robinson, President Dick Nielsen, Senior Engineer and Constance Ledoux Book, Ph. D. Telecommunications Research Corporation and Carson Hamlin Media Integration Specialist March 13, 2017 Title CBG Communications, Inc. Frederick County Prepared: March 13, 2017 Needs Assessment Report Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 1 SECTION A REVIEW OF CABLE-RELATED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS AND INTERESTS .................................................................................................................................. 7 RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS AND INTERESTS ASCERTAINMENT.............. 8 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................ 8 WRITTEN SURVEY FINDINGS ............................................................................................... 9 DEMOGRAPHICS ....................................................................................................................................................... 9 TELEVISION SERVICE ................................................................................................................................................ 10 NON-SUBSCRIBERS OF COMCAST CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE ............................................................................................ 11 COMCAST CABLE TELEVISION SUBSCRIBERS IN FREDERICK COUNTY, MARYLAND .................................................................... 11 CABLE SERVICE FEATURES ......................................................................................................................................... 14 CUSTOMER SERVICE ................................................................................................................................................ 15 OUTAGES AND TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES....................................................................................................................... 16 SERVICE AND INSTALLATION ISSUES ............................................................................................................................. 17 COMMUNICATION ISSUES ......................................................................................................................................... 18 PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENT (PEG) ACCESS PROGRAMMING ......................................................................... 19 OTHER LOCAL PROGRAMMING INTERESTS .................................................................................................................... 21 DISTRIBUTION FEATURES FOR LOCAL ACCESS PROGRAMMING ........................................................................................... 22 ONLINE ACCESS IN FREDERICK COUNTY ........................................................................................................................ 23 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 25 RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................ 26 ONLINE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY CABLE-RELATED SURVEY .......................... 31 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 31 ONLINE SURVEY FINDINGS ................................................................................................. 31 RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................................................................... 31 COMMUNITY OF RESIDENCE ...................................................................................................................................... 31 NON-SUBSCRIBERS TO COMCAST CABLE SERVICE ........................................................................................................... 32 SUBSCRIBERS TO COMCAST CABLE SERVICE ................................................................................................................... 32 OVERALL SATISFACTION ........................................................................................................................................... 32 SERVICE FEATURES .................................................................................................................................................. 33 CALLS TO COMCAST ................................................................................................................................................ 33 CABLE OUTAGES..................................................................................................................................................... 33 PICTURE QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................... 33 INSTALLATION/SERVICE ............................................................................................................................................ 34 Table of Contents i CBG Communications, Inc. Frederick County Prepared: March 13, 2017 Needs Assessment Report COMMUNICATIONS ................................................................................................................................................. 34 PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENT ACCESS PROGRAMMING (PEG) ......................................................................... 34 Government Access .................................................................................................................................. 34 Public K-12 Educational Access ............................................................................................................... 34 Higher Educational Access ....................................................................................................................... 34 LOCAL COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING .......................................................................................................................... 35 LOCAL PROGRAMMING ACCESS FEATURES .................................................................................................................... 35 INTERNET SERVICES ................................................................................................................................................. 35 FINAL COMMENTS .................................................................................................................................................. 36 ONLINE SURVEY SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 36 PUBLIC MEETING AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM RESIDENTS................. 37 PUBLIC MEETING .................................................................................................................................................... 37 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 37 SECTION B REVIEW OF CABLE-RELATED PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL (PEG) ACCESS NEEDS AND INTERESTS ........................................................................... 38 PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS NEEDS ASSESSMENT 39 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 39 FINDINGS – GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS ........................................................................... 41 OVERVIEW OF FREDERICK COUNTY’S GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS CHANNEL - FCG TV, CHANNEL 19 ............................................ 41 INTERVIEWS AND FOCUSED DISCUSSION WITH FCG TV REPRESENTATIVES ........................................................................... 42 FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT ............................................................................................ 44 EQUIPMENT BASELINE DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................ 44 VIRTUAL SET TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 45 ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 46 FCG TV GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS ............ 46 PRODUCTION STUDIOS/STUDIO CONTROL .................................................................................................................... 46 STUDIO ................................................................................................................................................................ 46 STUDIO CONTROL ................................................................................................................................................... 47 FREDERICK COUNTY GOVERNMENT MEETING ROOMS AND MEETING ROOMS CONTROL ......................................................... 47