May 6, 2015 Minutes

 

MINUTES of CTAC of Hamden, New Haven and West Haven

Meeting Date: May 6, 2015

 

Call to order: A regular monthly meeting of CTAC was held at CTV Offices at 843 State Street, New Haven, Connecticut, on Wednesday, May 6, 2015. President Tad Weinstein presiding. Don Levy Secretary. Meeting called to order at 6:06.

Members in attendance:

Tad Weinstein, Chair (WH)

Peaches Quinn, Vice Chair (NH)

George Alexander, Treasurer (H)

Don Levy, Secretary (H)

Johnes Ruta (NH)

Martha Brogan (NH)

Steve Gemmell, Local Manager, Field Operations, Frontier Communications

The minutes for the April meeting were discussed. Johnes wanted the minutes to reflect a discussion relating to internet service. Tad said CTAC is only authorized to act on issues relating to cable television. Minutes approved.

Tad indicated that New Haven Mayor Toni Harp sent him a letter with regard to her appointment of a new Commissioner to represent the City of New Haven. Tad said he would reach out to the new Commissioner and report on her status at the June meeting.

Steve Gimmell, local manager of field operations for Frontier Communications, was invited to update the Commission on issues relating to start-up and continuing operations of Frontier Communications, which took over from AT&T as statewide cable operator earlier this year.

Steve acknowledged that during the first two months after Frontier took over from AT&T cable customers experienced severe customer service, billing and cable access problems. He said these problems had not been anticipated by Frontier. Steve said the signal delivery problem was the result of radically different signal management protocols between Frontier and AT&T. He said these problems have been identified and addressed and that Frontier customers are reporting many fewer customer complaints.

Steve said he would work with CTV to make sure that local programs produced at CTV would be available to local Frontier cable subscribers. He also said that Frontier is considering installing FiOS at new multi-unit residential developments in our area.

Commissioners decided to hold a special meeting on Wednesday, May 13 at 5:30 p.m. at DiMatteo’s Restaurant at Hamden Plaza to discuss how to reshape what had been the CTAC junior high school TV production contest.

The May regular meeting of CTAC was adjourned at 7:18 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by D. Levy, CTAC secretary