Are customers satisfied by Spectrum Service within South County?

 An unprecedented survey of past and current customers of Spectrum broadband and cable services across South County reveals widespread discontent and anger over the price and the lack of a custom "a la carte" selection of TV channels, as well as the absence of the Boston station that provides state-wide news coverage.

This month's survey, which included 464 people published, was released to residents by the Five Town Cable Advisory Committee. That will be in negotiations with Spectrum in the fall and winter for a contract renewal that serves 6,392 Spectrum customers from Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Sheffield, and Stockbridge.

The 10-year agreement expires on March 1. The committee is hoping to reach an agreement for a franchise that lasts five years, according to the chairman, Linda Z. Miller of Lenox.

Spectrum is operated by Charter Communications and has no cable TV competitors across the five cities. However, non-subscribers can watch TV over the internet. Miller said that customers who live across the 5 towns rely on Spectrum for its high-speed broadband internet.

"Berkshire residents need access to Massachusetts channels," one angry customer said. "There is almost no information about what's happening in our state, elections, budget talks, or pandemic rules. We're in a secluded information space that can be cured."

There was no HTML0 channel. The Boston station, like WCVB-TV channel 5, was available until a couple of years ago and was among the most frequently mentioned complaints. A Springfield Station was reinstated to the lineup in February 2020.

Miller admitted there was hope for restoring this channel once the Federal Communications Commission redefines Berkshire County as part of the Springfield market rather than part of the Albany, N.Y., region. This results in numerous Albany channels being included within Spectrum Cable lineups.

The study also revealed a common theme: too many channels aren't being utilized, which makes Spectrum cable "too expensive for what we actually watch." A few customers reported that they had decided to drop Spectrum cable to go with streaming services, Direct TV or Dish satellite, while still using high-speed internet since no better alternatives were offered.

When asked if the survey results provide an opportunity for the Five-Town Cable Advisory Committee ammunition to negotiate with Spectrum, Miller said, "choices for consumers are very limited" regarding the possibility of competitors for Spectrum.

Heidi Vandenbrouck, senior communications manager at Charter Heidi Vandenbrouck, senior communications manager for Charter, said the survey shows "a small number of customers."

"We continue to encourage any customer with a question or concern to reach out to us directly," she stated.

Nearly all of the participants have reported using Spectrum to access the internet. At the same time, 75 percent bought one of the four cable TV packages that range between $30 per month for 15 channels up to $150 per month for every channel, including premium channels like HBO and Showtime. Around half of the respondents utilized Spectrum's telephone service.

If asked if they'd prefer to buy "a la carte" channels, selecting only the channels they liked, 95 percent of people surveyed said yes.

"A la carte would make many people happy," Miller stated. It will be discussed during negotiations on contracts. "We're certainly going to put it on the table."

Community Television for the Southern Berkshires (CTSB), which broadcasts town meetings and community events, such as education, was watched infrequently by 35 percent of the survey respondents.

Most viewers were unaware that CTSB was relocated to channels 1301, 1302, 1302, and 1303. Only 19 percent have utilized CTSB's online coverage, accessible on-demand via ctsbtv.org.

Miller expressed concerns about CTSB's future, claiming it's "in jeopardy" financially as CTSB is the only option for hyperlocal media and web-based local news for town council and School Committee meetings and community activities.

Miller said Spectrum seeks to justify cuts in federally controlled funding for CTSB by citing the low number of viewers.

The company shifted three CTSB services from low channel numbers (14, 15, 16) in the base service tier to 1301, 1302, 1302, and 1303. "CTSB lost tremendous viewership because they couldn't be found because no one channel surfs that high," she added. "They are in breach of the contract right now."

CTSB is dedicated to improving its coverage of events in the local area, Miller said. "One of the objectives of the new franchise agreement is to build in protection, enhancement and promotion of CTSB," Miller said. "We have to make sure that they are funded to do all the good that they do."

Miller said Spectrum's high-speed Internet service has fewer complaints than problems that affect cable TV.

She also stated that the committee has no leverage over Charter/Spectrum in pricing matters.