MONDAY, JULY 23: Bermuda CableVision and Bermuda Broadcasting Company today announced that they have reached an agreement for the ongoing carriage of channels 7 (ZFB) and 9 (ZBM) on CableVision’s system.
In recent months, continued transmission of channels 7 and 9 on CableVision’s system had been uncertain, following differences between the two companies in their decisions with respect to Bermuda’s retransmission consent law.
The new agreement ensures that all CableVision customers will continue to receive Bermuda Broadcasting Company’s channels as part of their cable TV subscription.
The two companies have also resolved a number of other outstanding issues that had been under discussion for some time. The agreement paves the way for adding high-definition (HD) feeds of Bermuda Broadcasting Company’s channels, as CableVision will be installing a fibre optic link to the Bermuda Broadcasting offices, which will improve the overall quality of the signal being transmitted to CableVision.
“We are delighted to have reached this agreement to the satisfaction of all parties,” said Terry Roberson, general manager of Bermuda CableVision. “We sincerely appreciate the constructive and fruitful dialogue with Bermuda Broadcasting, and would like to thank them for their willingness to reach this resolution.
“In addition, we would like to thank Minister for Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy, the Hon. Marc Bean, JP, MP, for his important role in bringing the two companies together.
“The agreement we have concluded strengthens the relationship between CableVision and Bermuda Broadcasting and creates an environment for an enhanced viewing experience for our customers.”
Rick Richardson, CEO of Bermuda Broadcasting Company, said: “The BBC Board of Directors and its Management concur with the sentiments expressed by Mr. Roberson. We believe that the agreement initialed by Bermuda Broadcasting Company and Bermuda CableVision has sufficient mechanisms to address the challenges of copyright and retransmission for the present period, and the foreseeable future, something that bodes well for the public we serve. It has paved the way for greater dissemination of the Bermuda Broadcasting local content, and the content provided through its network affiliations with ABC and CBS.
“We want to thank Bermuda CableVision Board of Directors and Management, particularly General Manager Terry Roberson, for keeping the public interest in the fore of our extensive negotiations. We commend The Minister for Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy, The Hon. Marc Bean, for bridging the gap between the stake holders and for insisting that we remain at the table to reach a solution that the public could live with.
“Bermuda Broadcasting Company and Bermuda CableVision have already made plans to explore advanced techniques to broaden the viewer experience.”
Minister for Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Marc Bean added: “I am pleased that this matter has been brought to a mutually agreeable conclusion by Bermuda CableVision and Bermuda Broadcasting Company, ending uncertainty and avoiding inconvenience for the viewing public.
“It is an agreement that suits the public interest in that subscribers can continue to enjoy locally produced programming, as well as popular broadcasts from overseas. The promise of enhanced quality of these broadcasts in the future as a result of these successful talks is an added bonus.”
Effective September 1, 2012, Bermuda CableVision will be implementing a rate increase of $2.50 for its Deluxe, Super and Variety Tiers. The price of the Economy Tier will remain the same at $30. This will be the first time in five years that CableVision has increased any of its subscriber rates. The last price increase was in 2007 when CableVision increased the price of its Variety Tier after introducing 26 new channels. Since then, CableVision has introduced additional new services and channels, including HDTV, and made significant upgrades to its network and equipment to improve the customer experience.
Mr Roberson said: “We continually strive to bring our customers more selection and the best quality programming, and we believe most would agree that digital cable is good value for the money. It gives families access to the best in entertainment, sports, movies and news.
“We now look forward to the introduction of new and exciting services, such as a Video on Demand channel, which is pending approval from the Telecommunications Commission.”