THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602210410
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CURRITUCK LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
The outcome of a cable battle in Michigan could ultimately decide the fate of Cablevision customers who no longer get NBC programs in Currituck County.
The Federal Communications Commission is expected to rule by the end of this month on a petition of clarification filed by U.S. Cablevision against a Lin Broadcasting television station in Grand Rapids, Mich.
``If the case comes back the way we hope it comes back, there should be no reason why WAVY should not be restored in this area,'' Kathy Wynn, a Cablevision systems manager, told Currituck County commissioners at a regular board meeting Monday night.
The case between WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids and Cablevision - one of the nation's largest cable companies - is similar to the dispute locally between the same cable company and Lin Broadcasting's WAVY-TV 10 in Hampton Roads.
Two years ago, WOOD-TV demanded payment to broadcast NBC programming to Cablevision customers in Kalamazoo County, with a population of about 250,000.
The other network affiliates, such as ABC and CBS, did not seek money for broadcasts, and Cablevision refused to pay WOOD-TV. A temporary agreement that continued the broadcasts expired last month.
Currituck County also found itself the victim of a cable dispute in 1994 when a new FCC rule allowed network affiliates to charge cable companies for broadcasting their signals.
Most stations across the country ironed out deals quickly, but less than 1 percent - including those affecting Currituck and Kalamazoo - did not.
Unlike other Cablevision subscribers in northeastern North Carolina who can still receive NBC via WITN out of Washington, Currituck is part of WAVY's exclusive NBC domain.
One area of clarification in the Kalamazoo case is to determine if certain criteria allows Cablevision to run the NBC affiliate when no other network options are available.
Kalamazoo cable customers have still been receiving NBC programs from Cablevision, a Michigan resident said Tuesday. Currituck customers have not.
The Kalamazoo case could set a precedent, Wynn said, that may lead to other broadcasters demanding money. The costs would eventually be paid by cable consumers and raise monthly user fees.
``It's not just WAVY. The citizens could end up paying over 200 broadcasters,'' Wynn said.
County officials have been bombarded by calls from angry residents who've been without their favorite soap operas and prime time shows, like ``Friends,'' ``Seinfeld'' and ``E.R.''
Some have asked for a boycott of businesses advertising on the Portsmouth-based station.
``They feel like when they purchased Cablevision, 10 was part of what they purchased,'' said Eldon Miller Jr., chairman of the board. ``They feel that that's not right'' to pay for something they are not receiving.
Some commissioners said it may be time to again talk to Hampton Roads' Cox Cable about setting up a franchise on Currituck's mainland. The company currently serves the county's Knotts Island residents.
``We've done everything but beg Cox Cable to come into this county,'' said Commissioner Gene Gregory. ``Maybe it's time (for Cox) to see us again.''
Cox Cable said two years ago it would be too expensive to upgrade cable lines to the company's standards, county officials said.
Other cable options discussed briefly at Monday's meeting included wireless cable and the county purchasing cable lines.
Commissioners and private citizens have also asked Congressional leaders to help break the impasse.
``I know this board has worked very hard to find a resolution to this problem,'' County Manager Bill Richardson said.
Only 25 percent of mainland residents subscribe to Cablevision, mainly because many sparsely populated neighborhoods and subdivisions do not meet the company's density requirements. by CNB