Cable TV hearing rescheduled

PARIS — A public hearing concerning cable television has been rescheduled for February 15.

"Before engaging in franchise negotiations, the select boards would like to know if you have any questions or concerns that should be included in the discussions with Time Warner," read a statement released jointly by Norway and Paris.

"Comments pertaining to programming, service experiences, subscription costs, service areas and reliability, along with suggestions for improvements, are all matters the boards will consider during this process."

The hearing was initially scheduled for January 18, but a snowstorm caused it to be canceled. The February 15 meeting will be held at the Paris Fire Station.

For the last three years, Time Warner has been operating in the two towns without a legal contract in place.

Steve Galvin, the station manager for Norway Paris Cable Television (NPC-TV), has called the existing agreement one of the "best in the state."

NPC-TV is active in the process of negotiating a contract between the Time Warner, Paris, and Norway, although its status as an independent non-profit means that it does not represent the towns.

The NPC-TV board of directors acts as a cable committee, which is the negotiating body that deals with the cable companies.

 During the public hearing, town leaders hope to learn whether all residents truly have access to cable television, which is a requirement of the previous contract.

The coverage is only meant to be universal on municipal roads, which excludes private roads.

Right now, the towns will be using the previous agreement and a standard "boilerplate" contract to use as a starting point in the negotiation. The standard was crafted by the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) and the Community Television Association of Maine (CTAM).