Aldermen Send Strong Signal to Comcast

June 4, 2014

Chicago’s largest cable provider, Comcast, is seeking a 10-year renewal of its franchise in Chicago, and the terms of that renewal will determine CAN TV’s future.

City officials and Comcast have been negotiating for over a year, but by the March 2014 expiration of Comcast’s franchise no agreement had been reached, and the City had to grant Comcast a three-month extension to June 15, 2014.

At the May 28, 2014 City Council meeting, 43 Aldermen signed a letter to Comcast and within days three who were not present at the signing added their support. The letter says:

We, the undersigned members of the Chicago City Council, oppose any cable franchise renewal agreement with Comcast that does not include an acceptable deal for CAN TV. We call on Comcast to meet its obligation under the Cable Ordinance without further delay by reaching agreement for support of CAN TV at a level that meets or exceeds the terms of the RCN agreement approved by City Council in 2012.

We applaud 10th Ward Alderman John Pope and his colleagues on the Council for taking this important step in ensuring support of the public’s channels. Alderman Pope said, “My colleagues and I want no further delays in Comcast meeting its public obligations in Chicago.”

Please take a moment to call and express your thanks to the Aldermen who are standing firm to protect the public’s most fundamental right – the right to speak and be heard.

Don’t know who your alderman is? Find out here.

46 Aldermen sign on in support of the letter (click for contact information):

Joe Moreno (1st)

Bob Fioretti (2nd)

Pat Dowell (3rd)

Will Burns (4th)

Leslie Hairston (5th)

Roderick Sawyer (6th)

Natashia Holmes (7th)

Michelle Harris (8th)

Anthony Beale (9th)

John Pope (10th)