In an ongoing effort to hold Comcast accountable for its services to more than 180,000 subscribers under the Montgomery County cable franchise, the County last week assessed the cable television provider more than $12,000 in liquidated damages for violating customer service standards required in the franchise agreement. The County has assessed Comcast more than $74,000 in liquidated damages since last January.

“We take customer service very seriously here in Montgomery County,” said County Executive Isiah Leggett. “Our residents expect and deserve good quality cable television service from our franchisees, and we will continue to hold those companies accountable for being responsive to customer needs.”

In addition to Comcast, Montgomery County has cable television franchise agreements with RCN (Starpower) and Verizon, and the County Executive recently proposed that the County Council approve a fourth cable television franchise with Cavalier. All of the franchisees are held accountable to the same customer service standards.

Comcast was notified of the most recent liquidated damages assessment on January 22 in a letter to Comcast Area Vice President Sanford Ames.

“One way to ensure good customer service is to give cable TV customers choices. We’ve done that by bringing in Verizon and RCN to compete with Comcast, and I’ve proposed that we include Cavalier as a franchisee in the near future,” said Leggett.

“Obviously, it would be better if there were no violations for Comcast or any cable provider in the County,” said Councilmember Marilyn J. Praisner. “However, there must be consequences for inadequate service. It is important that the County government continue to enforce its customer service standards.”

“Fining companies that fail to fulfill their contractual obligations is an important part of good government,” said Councilmember Duchy Trachtenberg, chair of the Council’s Management and Fiscal Policy Committee, which receives quarterly updates on service from the County’s cable providers. “Damages force violators of customer service standards to change or face further penalties. The Council holds Comcast to the same high standards it would apply to every important service provider.”

Comcast was originally warned of its failure to comply with the customer service standards in June 2006, and the County assessed liquidated damages for that and each of the subsequent quarters that the failure continued – each with a progressively larger fine.

Payment for the liquidated damages is required within ten calendar days after Comcast’s receipt of the letter. If Comcast does not render payment to the County within that time period, the County has the right to withdraw funds to cover the damages from Comcast’s performance bond or security fund.

Last summer, County officials publicly warned residents about a Comcast arbitration notice that appeared in the July bills. It was sent out without County approval and attempted to change the terms of the subscriber agreement and limit subscriber rights.

A new “Consumer Rights” on-line brochure for cable subscribers is available on the County website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/pio/pdfs/cableconsumerrights.pdf . The brochure details minimum standards of service that cable operators must provide to consumers, along with what to do if a question or complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved, and contact information for the cable companies and the County’s Office of Cable and Communication Services, 240-773-2288.

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Media Contact:  Donna Bigler, 240-777-6507

Program Details:  240-773-2288