Cable Service

John Dunning spends several hours a weekend watching cable, mostly sports. But Dunning, 64, a metallurgist in Corvallis, Ore., says he has begun to think that his bill - $40 a month for about 50 channels - is high. He toyed with switching to satellite, but he receives high-speed Internet access through his cable provider, a service that satellite systems do not offer. And "it is a bit of a hassle to switch," he said. Dunning's attitude may not be unusual among cable subscribers. A recent report by the General Accounting Office shows that the average monthly rate for expanded basic cable service is $36.47.

In the wake of Adelphia Communications Corp.'s bankruptcy filing, Carroll officials said yesterday that they expect no interruption in service, but they are worried that the cable giant won't be able to pay its franchise fees, a lapse that could deprive the county and its municipalities of hundreds of thousands of dollars. County officials also said the bankruptcy filing late Tuesday could cloud the future of a planned new home for Channel 19, the county's public-access television station.

A preliminary decision by federal regulators on cable modem franchise fees could deny local governments millions of dollars in revenue that was used to pay for schools, trash collection and other services. Comcast, the cable giant that serves 800,000 customers in Maryland, told county governments recently that it will no longer collect franchise fees from cable modem customers after a March 14 announcement by the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC said the fees were meant to be collected on cable television service, not on information utilities such as cable Internet connections.

Adelphia Cable's customer service in Carroll County has improved drastically since the county's cable commission filed sanctions against the company three months ago, commission members say. The company's Internet service, however, is experiencing "growing pains," said the county's new cable coordinator, Carol Shawver. "Yes, amazingly enough, the pressure we've exerted on them actually seems to have had some effect," said Hampstead Town Manager Ken Decker, chairman of the cable commission.

Responding to Hampstead residents' complaints about cable service, Linda Jenne called Adelphia Cable 165 times between June 1 and June 15. The town's cable coordinator reached a customer service agent three times. That's an unacceptable level of service and a violation of Adelphia's contract, said Hampstead Town Manager Ken Decker. As a result, Decker plans to ask Carroll County's Cable Commission at its next meeting July 12 for permission on behalf of the town to seek damages of $200 a day for the two-week period.

Responding to Hampstead residents' complaints about cable service, Linda Jenne called Adelphia Cable 165 times between June 1 and June 15. The town's cable coordinator reached a customer service agent three times. That's an unacceptable level of service and a violation of Adelphia's contract, said Hampstead Town Manager Ken Decker. As a result, Decker plans to ask Carroll County's Cable Commission at its next meeting July 12 for permission on behalf of the town to seek damages of $200 a day for the two-week period.

A contractor laying fiber-optic cable accidentally severed a telephone line early yesterday, disconnecting service to as many as 10,000 homes and businesses along Reisterstown Road. A Verizon spokeswoman said the accident occurred at Reisterstown Road and St. Thomas Lane in Owings Mills. Verizon had restored service to about 200 customers in the Owings Mills area by about 10 p.m., said Sandra Arnette, Verizon spokeswoman. But some residences and businesses could be without phones until Sunday.

At first, Marcela Aviles worried that her cheering section would be small at Howard Community College's commencement ceremony this afternoon. With the exception of her three children, most of her family and friends live in Ecuador. But it turns out that Aviles will have a large international contingent rooting as she accepts her degree in business management, thanks to the college's first live Internet broadcast of the ceremony. The Internet commencement broadcast is a pioneering effort.