From: nhmas@gauss.med.harvard.edu (Mark Shneyder 432-4219)
Newsgroups: alt.cable-tv.re-regulate
Subject: LandLord TV
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:19:28 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: HMS

My landlord is thinking about waging a small war against our local
cable company - CableVision Systems,Inc which serves the city of Boston
and an adjacent town of Brookline where I presently live.

Here is the text of the proposal to the tenants of my 16-unit building
and 4 or 5 adjacent building on the same block owned by the same guy.
I estimated that that the total number of units is about 80 to 90.


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Dear  So-and-So Tenant,

We are concerned about the rising the cost of cable television services.
(editorial comment : Yes,because you want a piece of it,too)
Cable television rates have been rising at an alarming 13.5% per year
over the past 10 years(ed:my block only has had cable for last 7.5 years
and the price went up from $2.00 for basic 52 channels to present $18.75)
and this trend is expected to continue into the next century.

At this time we are exploring the possibility of an alternate cable service
to offer programming more in-tune with our tenants needs.(Honestly,when
was the last time your landlord CARED what you're watching in the comfort
of your living room?).

An alternate cable system will give you the following advantages :

1. Lower monthly cable subscription to tenants.(Probably,fewer channels)

2. No extra charges for premium or sports channels.(I hope that includes
PlayBoy After Dark :-)

3. Tenant Access Channel for special programs.( "TAC presents,all the 
way from the laundry room,it's the SoapBox with Mrs.Whitney from 1-A :-)

4. No cable bill increases for 3 years.( After 3 years,you'll pay thru
the roof. I remember when CableVision flew into town with the offer of
$2.00 for Basic Package. Everybody loved CableVision at the time.
Thru the years of constant rate hikes,bad programming choices, and
really lousy service - the 'leaks' in my builing and everywhere else in
my town have been so bad CableVision will actually spend some money to
overhaul all of its amplifiers this fall - feelings for CableVision are
now comparable to the love for a metermaid in Boston. :-).

5. No extra charges for multiple televisions( currenly I pay $8.00
for an extra set in my bedroom)

In order to let us know how you feel about this issue,please check the
appropriate box and return survey to our office by Sept.1,1992. Thank
You for your cooperation.

[ ] Yes! I would like to save money on my cable bill. Use as many televisions
as I want without paying any extar charges. Receive free Premium and Sports
channels.

[ ] No. I wish to continue paying an ever increasing cable bill with
the current cable company. I wish to pay extar charges for televisions
and premium and sports channels.


                                 Sincerely,

    
                                  Your Property Soon-To-Be Cable Manager
                                     

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This sounds like my landlord is trying to get wireless cable co. to
come in before the telephone companies begin to get into the act and will
drive CableVision out of business. I think somewhere in this letter
I smell a profit or some sort of a deal for my landlord in this whole
'new tenant-vision' thing. The reason I believe,it's wireless cable is because
my landlord wouldn't invest into an expensive satellite equipment that he
would have to place on top of the 4-story brownstone buildings.

Does my landlord have a right to stop me from subscribing to CableVision
or any other cable co.(telephone) if the majority of the gullible tenants
vote to go with wireless/profit-for-landlord-making cable venture? A call
to my town's cable monitoring comittee and/or BBB(Better Business Bureau)
is in order.

-Mark
Newsgroups: alt.cable-tv.re-regulate