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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Comcast Basic Rate Hike Won’t Hit Seattle Customers
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
12/3/2003 3:07:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tony Perez (206) 386-0070
D'Anne Mount (206) 233-8736
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Comcast Basic Rate Hike Won’t Hit Seattle Customers
City regulations protect lowest-priced service level
SEATTLE — Although Comcast cable company is raising rates in January 2004 for basic cable service across the country, Seattle subscribers to limited basic level of service will not see a rise in their charges.
The city of Seattle exercised its regulatory authority to prevent the increase for limited cable service (the lowest-priced service tier), which Comcast had said it would increase from $12.30 per month to $13.00 per month. As a result Comcast will not increase the rate for limited basic service for Seattle customers - it will remain at $12.30. Comcast customers will receive a corrected notice in January.
Comcast has informed the city, that it will maintain its increase on the unregulated portion, and as a result, will increase its rate for expanded basic from $36.99 to $39.99 effective January 1, 2004.
Comcast has about 140,000 cable television subscribers in Seattle. Some 15,000 of those subscribe to the lowest-priced service tier.
Seattle’s Office of Cable Communications (OCC) has overall responsibility for issues related to cable television and cable Internet service for Seattle residents. The Office oversees the city's non-exclusive cable television franchises with Comcast and Millennium Digital Media through enforcement of the franchise agreements, with an emphasis on citizen concerns. The OCC investigates and mediates consumer/cable company issues and enforces the Cable Customer Bill of Rights, the strongest cable privacy protections in the country. More information can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/cable/
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Department of Information Technology
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