REPORT ON THE CABLE TELEVISION- RELATED NEEDS AND INTERESTS ASCERTAINMENT FOR CALVERT 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 and Cohen Law Group Prepared: June 22, 2017 Title CBG Communications, Inc. Calvert County Prepared: June 22, 2017 Needs Assessment Report Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................1 SECTION A REVIEW OF CABLE-RELATED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS AND INTERESTS .............................................................................................................................8 RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS AND INTERESTS ASCERTAINMENT.........9 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................9 WRITTEN SURVEY FINDINGS ........................................................................................10 DEMOGRAPHICS .............................................................................................................................................. 10 TELEVISION SERVICE ......................................................................................................................................... 11 NON-SUBSCRIBERS OF COMCAST CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE ..................................................................................... 12 COMCAST CABLE TELEVISION SUBSCRIBERS IN CALVERT COUNTY, MARYLAND ............................................................... 13 CABLE SERVICE FEATURES .................................................................................................................................. 15 CUSTOMER SERVICE ......................................................................................................................................... 16 OUTAGES AND TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES................................................................................................................ 17 SERVICE AND INSTALLATION ISSUES ...................................................................................................................... 18 COMMUNICATION ISSUES .................................................................................................................................. 19 PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENT (PEG) ACCESS PROGRAMMING .................................................................. 20 QUALITY OF LOCAL PROGRAMMING ..................................................................................................................... 22 OTHER LOCAL PROGRAMMING INTERESTS ............................................................................................................. 22 DISTRIBUTION FEATURES FOR LOCAL ACCESS PROGRAMMING .................................................................................... 23 FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL ACCESS PROGRAMMING ......................................................................................... 24 ONLINE ACCESS IN CALVERT COUNTY ................................................................................................................... 25 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ................................................................................................................................... 27 RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................28 TARGETED RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY CABLE-RELATED SURVEY ..............33 INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................33 TARGETED SURVEY RESULTS ......................................................................................33 Table of Contents i CBG Communications, Inc. Calvert County Prepared: June 22, 2017 Needs Assessment Report SECTION B REVIEW OF CABLE-RELATED PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL (PEG) ACCESS NEEDS AND INTERESTS ..................................35 PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS NEEDS ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................................36 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ......................................................................36 FINDINGS - COMMUNITY/PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS ..................................................................................................................................39 OVERVIEW OF COMCAST’S CALVERT COUNTY COMMUNITY CHANNEL 6 ....................................................................... 39 FOCUSED DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATIONAL ACCESS REPRESENTATIVES ............................................. 40 FOCUSED DISCUSSION WITH HIGHER EDUCATIONAL ACCESS REPRESENTATIVES .............................................................. 42 FOCUSED DISCUSSION WITH K-12 EDUCATIONAL ACCESS REPRESENTATIVES ................................................................. 43 FOCUSED DISCUSSION WITH PUBLIC ACCESS REPRESENTATIVES .................................................................................. 44 FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS ............................................................................46 EQUIPMENT BASELINE DEFINITIONS ..................................................................................................................... 46 HIGH DEFINITION ............................................................................................................................................ 46 VIRTUAL SET TECHNOLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 47 ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................................... 47 CALVERT COUNTY SHARED PEG FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS...........48 INFRASTRUCTURE............................................................................................................................................. 48 ARCHIVAL/STORAGE ........................................................................................................................................ 48 PRODUCTION STUDIOS/STUDIO CONTROL ............................................................................................................. 49 STUDIO ......................................................................................................................................................... 49 STUDIO CONTROL ............................................................................................................................................ 49 FINDINGS – GOVERNMENT ACCESS ............................................................................50 CALVERT COUNTY GOVERNMENT ACCESS FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS ....................................................................................................................................50 ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................................... 50 FIELD ACQUISITION .......................................................................................................................................... 50 POST PRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 50 INFRASTRUCTURE............................................................................................................................................. 51 HEADEND SERVERS/PLAYBACK/CHARACTER GENERATOR .......................................................................................... 51 ON DEMAND/STREAMING ................................................................................................................................. 51 HEARING ROOM/HEARING ROOM CONTROL ......................................................................................................... 52 FINDINGS – PUBLIC ACCESS ..........................................................................................53 Table of Contents ii CBG communications, Inc. Calvert County Prepared: June 22, 2017 Needs Assessment Report CALVERT COUNTY LIBRARY/PUBLIC ACCESS FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS ....................................................................................................................................53 ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................................... 53 FIELD ACQUISITION .......................................................................................................................................... 53 POST PRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 53 FINDINGS – K-12 EDUCATIONAL ACCESS ..................................................................54 CALVERT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS .54 ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT .................................................................................................................................... 54 SCHOOL BOARD ROOM/SCHOOL BOARD CONTROL ................................................................................................