“A decade ago, the Council made an important decision to negotiate rather than litigate,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, Vice-Chair of the Labor, Operations and Technology Committee. “This choice brought our 125,000 unincorporated area residents the opportunity to access cable much faster than if we had taken Comcast to court, and we were able to negotiate one of the most favorable contracts in the nation for the size of our subscriber base.”

Under the extension agreement, customers would see no immediate visible changes. King County would give up the use of 2 Public, Educational and Government (PEG) Channels, one of which is currently unused and one of which, TVW Cable 23, would be reclassified as a “commercial” channel. However, when Comcast converts to an all-digital system in the local market, a conversion that could occur within two years, King County will gain the use of 18 digital channels for PEG use and 6 Megahertz of data bandwidth that could be split into eight to 10 more channels, used for transmission of high-definition broadcasting or two-way video/audio communication, or used for “data-enhanced video.” With data-enhanced video, a cable TV viewer could watch a King County Council meeting and download the text of an ordinance being discussed by clicking on an icon, while continuing to watch to the program — much like viewing a Web page.

“We believe we have a contract that takes us into a rapidly changing future,” said Hague. “When the digital conversion occurs, we will have 18 digital PEG channels, plus six Megahertz of bandwidth for digitally-enhanced video or high-definition TV as well as $1.2 million for our bleeding general fund. This will clearly open new public forums for dialogue for subscribers in unincorporated King County and it continues our national leadership in cable contract negotiations established in 1995.”

The Council last December deferred action on the franchise extension after hearing public concerns, and sent staff back to the negotiating table to ensure that the County had done its full due diligence. Over the past year the County was able to hold onto the gains it had already negotiated under the current mixed analog and digital system now operated by Comcast, and prepared the county for the new all-digital age by winning provisions for the 18 PEG channels and 6MHz of bandwidth that should meet subscriber and PEG needs well beyond 2010. The new franchise agreement will expire on Feb. 16, 2010, at which time the County will be required to initiate a full renewal process for the franchise.

“Last year, we took the advice of concerned citizens and sent our staff back to the negotiating table. We also spent a tremendous amount of time listening to public testimony, researching comparable contracts and acquiring expert industry opinions to assure that the County is getting the best deal possible and is prepared for the all-digital future,” said Hague. “The people of our unincorporated communities are the beneficiaries of the council’s due diligence and have a flexible format for public access in an ever-changing cable industry.”

Over the past two-and-a-half years of negotiations, the Comcast franchise extension was examined by Councilmembers 10 times in three different Council committees and before the full Council, most of those involving public comment and staff briefings; heard in two publicly-advertised formal hearings; and has been the subject of two public meetings hosted by Councilmembers to allow for extended informal dialog. Councilmembers and staff have also held many meetings with individuals and small groups to listen to the public’s thoughts.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s
LEGISEARCH system at and type in “2002-0556”