Cable Rate Increase for Daleville, AL

City cable rates will increase

By Kara Episcopo
Sun-Courier Staff Writer
Mar 30 2007

City cable customers will soon be paying more for their cable service now that Daleville City Council members approved a hike in package prices and additional service charges during last Tuesday’s meeting.

City Cablevision customers will see an increase in their rates as soon as the next full billing cycle, which should be billed in May. The basic cable package rates will be increased by $2, raising the cost from $9.45 to $11.45 per month. Extended basic cable service will increase by $3 from $25.95 to $28.95 per month. Prices for each package upgrade after extended basic cable will be increased by 50-cent increments. Extended basic with one premium channel will increase to $37.45 per month and extended basic with two channels will increase to $45.45 per month from its original $41.45.

Extended basic with three channels will rise by $4.50 costing $52.95 per month and full package cable will rise to $59.95 per month.

“We’re still competitive with other cable companies,” said council member Ralph Chalker. “We’re much cheaper and we offer a quality product.”

In addition, the council approved a $25 initial hookup charge for new customers and an optional $4 per month wire maintenance program for new and existing customers. If customers opt out of the $4 per month fee, any maintenance for wire damage will cost $25 per incidence.

The $4 per month wire maintenance charge will cost customers a total of $48 per year.
“Ever since this cable was built, we have given our services away,” said Daleville Mayor Wess Etheredge. “We’re losing a lot of money without charging anything.”

The council also voted to charge $2 each per month for any additional converter box beyond the initial box to set up the cable service. Each additional remote, besides the first remote control, will cost customers 50 cents per month.
Because many customers upgrade and downgrade their packages often, the council agreed to charge a $5 fee for any type of change in the customer’s service.

The decision by the council to increase the rates came after the council appointed a committee to look into the future of City Cablevision last month.

The rate increase will help the city’s cable service pay for itself, something the service has not done since its inception in 1993.

The city initially invested $1 million to develop the cable system and has since then invested more funds to keep it updated.

The cable company earns enough to sustain its basic operation, but has never been able to generate enough revenue to pay its own debt.