Phila. asks: What should Comcast do?

Philadelphia city cable TV administrator Mark McLaughlin writes: "In preparation for upcoming negotiations for the [Philadelphia-Comcast cable] franchise renewal [in 2015], the City of Philadelphia's Office of Innovation and Technology [seeks] community feedback on residents' experiences with and services by Comcast...

"In 2015, the City of Philadelphia's current 15-year cable television franchise agreement with Comcast Cable will expire." They're now in renewal talks to let Comcast keep running its system in the city for years to come. So the cable office is offering public surveys, one version for Comcast customers, one for non-subscribers, to see what Philadelphians want in a new cable deal. .

Can a survey actually change how Comcast serves and charges its hometown? "The city could and, I will suggest, should see if it can get lowered prices and guaranteed service" from any potential Comcast competitors "before the lease is renewed," the city's consumer advocate, Lance Haver, told me. "That's all negotiable. The lease should be tied to prices and performance. Giving someone an open-ended lease where they are not required to meet their promises or performances is a mistake."

Last time the lease was negotiated -- 15 years ago -- the city didn't solicit public opinion, Haver added. "This is a tremendous step forward, for city consumers to have their opinion asked. Consumers should really think about what we want: lower prices, access to the Internet, and only the channels we want." He noted the activist Media Mobilizing Project urges supporters to call for better public programming access here.

The surveys, the cable office says, "can be completed online at www.phila.gov/cablefranchises or [picked up at] any local public library or KEYSPOT public computing center. The surveys will be available until February 7."

"We remain committed to working with the residents of Philadelphia to make sure that the next franchise agreement provides for the current and future cable-related needs of the community," said Chief Innovation Officer Adel Ebeid in a statement. "The City has a decades-long relationship with Comcast and we anticipate working cooperatively with them throughout the renewal process."

Send more feedback to citizenfeedback@phila.gov, or to voicemail 215-686-8125, or by mail to: Cable Franchise Authority, Attn: Mark McLaughlin, Cable Television Administrator, City Hall, Room 702, Philadelphia, PA 19107