HomeMy WebLinkAbout931630.tiff —sited Artists Cable of Greeley
3737 West Tenth Street
Greeley,CO 80634
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January 25, 1993 CL E, Cable
ATCICOMPANY
Weld County Commissioners
Ms. Vickie Sprague, Clerk to the Board
915 10th
Greeley, Colorado 80631
Dear Vickie,
Enclosed you will find packets of information prepared for the
Commissioners and staff regarding our activities in 1992 and our plans
for 1993. Thank you for your assistance distributing the information to
the Commissioners.
I call your attention to the "System Reconfiguation and Channel
Realignment" description toward the end of the packet as the
reconfiguration of channels will be happening this spring.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns we are available to help.
Thank you once again.
i
. Sincerely,
H
MaLryci
Mitchell
Office anager
encl.
o kt3 "Pt 931630
An Equal Opportunity Employer
w �l TCI Cablevision of Colorado, Inc.
We're taking television into tomorrow.
Your cable system has been operating in the Greeley since
1980. TCI Cablevision of Colorado, Inc., believes our success is
based, not only upon providing a variety of quality programming
plus responsive service for our customers, but also upon
maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the community leaders. This
packet was developed to provide you with an overview of our 1992
activities and our 1993 business plan.
1992 OVERVIEW
ALWAYS PLACE THE CUSTOMER FIRST
In 1990, the cable industry adopted Customer Service Standards which
include the following:
* Answer 90% of all calls within 30 seconds.
* Customers get a busy signal less than 3% of the time.
* Customer service center and bill payment locations open for
transactions Monday - Friday during normal business hours.
* Respond to service interruptions within 24 hours
* Offer convenient appointment alternatives, AM, PM or "all days" for
installation and service calls.
Our Customer Service Department is staffed by trained cable representatives
who work hard to provide our customers with the level of service they have
come to expect. In 1987, our company began company wide Customer
Service satisfaction "Pulse Surveys" to measure customer opinion. Your cable
system consistently scores far above the corporate and division average. We
are proud to have earned the Seal of Good Customer Service each year since
its inception in 1990.
During 1992, we made several changes to help us continue to meet these
expectations. The changes include:
* Extended office hours
* Increase in customer service staff to assist customers
* Implement customer call back program to follow up on all in-house
1 1 /21 /93
visits
* Introduced the TCI Customer 1st course which all associates have
completed.
It is important to us to provide 24 hour quality service to our customers,
Our office in Greeley is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00
pm and also on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. We provide installation
and technical service six days per week from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm with one
technician on call 24 hours each day.
DEMONSTRATE OUR DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY SERVICE
AND SUPPORT IN ALL COMMUNITIES WE SERVE.
TCI Cablevision and its employees recognize the importance of community
involvement. During the past year, your cable system sponsored three new
subscriber campaigns, donating all or a portion of installation fees to local
causes/organizations. In April, $2,125 was donated to the Weld County
Clean Air committee, the Muscular Dystrophy Association was the benefactor
of a $4,750 donation from a September promotion. The annual Toys for
Tots campaign during the Christmas season gathered toys and dollars,
donated to local organizations to make Christmas special for needy children.
A quality cable system is more than products offered, service calls answered
and rates charged. Good cable systems are an integral part of communities.
In recent years, we have supported or directly sponsored several
outstanding projects which benefitted the residents of this area.
Communications Alert System We are working in conjunction with the
Weld County Sheriffs Department and other area law enforcement agencies
to develop a more effective and responsive alert system.
Cable in the Classroom 1992 marked the third consecutive year
we have actively promoted the educational programming available to schools
in our coverage area through the TCI Education Project. Currently, all
elementary and secondary schools are wired and receive basic cable service
at no charge. In an effort to increase awareness of the extent of educational
programming on both cable and broadcast channels, monthly packets of
Cable in the Classroom Magazine and other program specific information are
sent to media specialists at each school. Early in 1992, TCI Cablevision
added X PRESS X CHANGE, a 24 hour computer information service which
enables schools instant access to national and international news, weather
and financial information from world satellites and newswires. As of yearend
1992, fifteen X PRESS starter kits (interface sits for school computers) had
been placed in schools in the Greeley, Evans and LaSalle area. An extensive
workshop is available through FLITE 6 each summer, facilitated by two cable
system employees, offering teachers continuing education credit for
X PRESS training, programming awareness and methods of implementation.
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Earth Day Our participation in Earth Day began in 1990 when we
produced a 30 minute video to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Earth Day.
Since then, we have actively participated in promoting, sponsoring, and
enjoying the activities.
Recycling Spurred on by Earth Day awareness, TCI has implemented
an ongoing internal program collecting aluminum, white stock and greenbar
paper as well as newspaper for recycling. Our warehouse personnel collects
and reuses styrofoam and packing materials.
Contributions to community organizations TCI Cablevision donates
thousands of dollars annually to organizations such as United Way of Weld
County, The Independence Stampede, Boys and Girls Clubs, local scouting
organizations, Weld County Chapter of the American Cancer Society, Easter
Seals, NCMC Foundation, recreation programs and more.
Civic Service Many of our employees contribute directly with
involvement through membership in civic organizations including Lions
Club, Civitan, Success By Six, WIRS, Just Say No, to name a few.
Chambers of Commerce TCI Cablevision of Colorado is a member of the
Chambers of Commerce in Greeley, Evans, Tri-Town and Windsor.
3 1/22/93
SYSTEM GROWTH AND RATES
TCI Cablevision of Colorado, Inc., has three seperate systems, each with an
office, head end and outside plant.
Our Greeley headend serves the communities of Greeley, Evans and LaSalle,
Garden City and homes in Weld County :
GREELEY Homes Passed: 30,831
SYSTEM Basic and Plus customers: 17,703
Basic Customers: 17,658
Plant mileage: 259 miles
WELD COUNTY BASIC CABLE
CUSTOMERS
520 — •
468 —
a 416 — •
364 —
° 312 —
e 260 — •
208 — •
156 — •
104 — •
52 — •
0 I I I I
1989 1990 1991 1992
{
Category
o Weld County
4 1/22/93
In the last five years, there has been an increase of 117 customers or an
increase of 23%. We ended 1992 with 514 customers in Weld County.
Listed below is historical information on rate adjustments experienced in
your area since 1985.
RATE HISTORY - Greeley, Evans, LaSalle, Garden City and Weld County
Basic service
1985 $11.25 Additional outlets $5.00
1986 $13.95
1988 $15.95 Added: Discovery,VH-1,CVN
Dropped: WOR,Playboy,Aims
Lowered: Additional outlets from $5.00 to $2.95/month
Remotes from $5.00 to $2.95/month
Sound remotes from $5.95 to $3.95/month
FM from $3.00 to -0-
1989 $19..95 Added: AMC,The Learning Channel,Nick at Nite, PSN
Lowered: No's from $2.95/ month to -0-/month
1990 $19.50 Basic
$ .45 Plus Service: Discovery, ESPN, CNN, USA,TNT,AMC, CNBC,PSN
1992 $19.50 Basic
$ 1.45 Plus Service:
1993 $19.50 to $10.00 as of(March 12, 1993) Basic= broadcast stations, public,educational
and government access channels
$ 1.45 - $10.95 as of(March 12, 1993) Plus Service=all non-premium cable services
Premium service
1980 $ 7.00 per channel
1983 $8.00 and $7.00 $8.00-first channel; $7.00 each additional channel
1986 $ 8.95
1989 $ 7.95 & $6.95 $7.95-first channel;$6.95 each additional channel
1992 $ 7.95 &$6.95 $7.95-first channel;$6.95 each additional channel
Add Encore$1.50 per month without other premium;
$1.00 per month with other premium
1993 $ 7.95 & $6.95 $7.95-first channel;$6.95 each additional channel
Encore$1.50 per month without other premium;
$1.00 per month with other premium
Compared to almost every other common good or service, cable television
has retained its value as a real bargain. Our channel lineup gives customers
a panorama of entertainment, news, lifestyle information, weather, and
music for approximately $.64 a day.
5 1 /22/93
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
Our company complies with all local, state and federal employment
regulations as well as industry practices. Indeed, it is our goal to exceed
expectations for safety, fairness and equal employment opportunity.
It has always been a commitment of TCI Cablevision to afford equal
employment opportunities to all qualified persons regardless of race, color,
religion, national orgin, handicap, sex or age. This EEO statement is a
formal commitment.
As a responsible business citizen and leader in the entertainment
industry, we pledge full support to all efforts in conjunction with our EEO
plan. We work to meet our responsibilities as a corporate citizen through
the continued development and equitable application of our personnel
policies in the vital areas of recruitment, hiring, salary administration,
benefits, training and development, promotions, and all company sponsored
activities. We plan to monitor our progress through regular work force
analysis.
In addition to an active EEO program, ' we promote career
development and safety. In addition to observance of all OSHA standards
and requirements, all employees are encouraged to become certified in CPR
and First Aid. We have a certified Red Cross trainer on staff.
It is the belief of the management team that our staff need the
authority and discretion to do whatever it takes to insure quailty Customer
Service. Resolution at the point of contact is TCI policy. To insure that
employees are prepared, each must successfully complete the Customer 1st
program, attend weekly and monthly staff meetings and participate in our
Associates Involvement Meetings. Training provides a commitment to the
excellence of our product and empowers the staff to meet the customer's
needs more directly.
We currently have 36 employees that are highly trained, experienced
individuals with an average tenure of five years. Training for 1992 has
included technical training through National Cable Television Institute,
Customer 1st, as well as training with individual programmers such as HBO
and The Disney Channel, and seminars on a variety of subjects.
-30-
6 1 /21 /93
TCI Cablevision of
Colorado, Inc.
We're taking television into tomorrow.
1993 BUSINESS PLAN
NAME CHANGE We became part of Tele-Communications, Inc., TCI,
on October 1, 1992, when the nation's leading cable
operator acquired the remainder of United Artists
Entertainment that it did not already own. We will
now do business under the name of TCI Cablevision
of Colorado, Inc..
Throughout the month of January we will be
changing signs, decals, stationery all items that
reflect who we are. Our customers will be notified
by bill insert in February and through press releases
and cross promotion spots.
We believe our affiliation with TCI has been a
positive move for the customers we serve. With
more resources and a renewed commitment to
operating an efficient, customer-responsive and
technologically advanced cable system, "We're
Taking Television Into Tomorrow" as we provide our
customers with the best in cable programming and
services.
SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS
New Telephone System Among the many changes occurring in 1993, one
exciting change will be the arrival of a new
telephone system. The new system will increase
productivity of our service department which
translates to more efficient and timely service for
our customers.
A company investment of over thirty thousand
dollars will mean a brand new, state of the art,
digital telephone system.
Features of the new system will include:
* Consolidated trunking
* Efficient call processing
*
Self-monitoring capability
* Additional lines dedicated to Customer
Service
An additional feature will be the detailed customer
service performance reports it will provide. These
reports will be used to determine staffing
requirements, amount of time phone lines are busy,
amount of time before calls are answered, plus much
more. Overall, the new telephone system will mean
better service and quicker response for our
customers.
Billing Software In March 1993, our billing software will be
upgraded to a service that will improve Customer
Service. Highlights include anniversary billing,
fewer key strokes to take orders, expanded
customer comment screen, improved collection
operations, and improved Customer Service
performance reports.
Construction Projects completed in 1992 included Phase I of
Boomerang, Weber West, Highland West,
Stoneybrook, Glen Meadows, Highlands Southwest,
and cable to District Six Media Center.
Approximately 19 miles of new service was provided
for over 200 passings.
Work in 1993 will include Calnoise near Hewlett
Packard, Phase II of Boomerang, an extension of
West Point, Weber West, Larson and Highland West.
A majority of these projects are joint trench projects
planned by area developers. Calnoise
and Boomerang are expected to be in the final stage
of construction by the end of the first quarter. Other
projects are targeted for second and third
quarter with additional extentions as areas are
opened for housing.
System Performance Tests The systems operated by TCI Cablevision of Colorado
meet or exceed all FCC subscriber performance
tests. Following is a brief outline of tests performed
in the systems.
Even though cable television systems are
theoretically "closed" systems, they can leak
electromagnetic radiation of signal. Such signal
leakage can be caused by breaks in the outer shield
of the cable itself, loose connectors or amplifier
boxes, poorly installed taps, and numerous other
sources. These leaks can form a bubble and interfere
with FAA navigational communications. Each year
the system is monitored for compliance and daily
testing is performed to insure the cable plant meets
these standards.
Proof of performance tests are performed at various
locations in the systems to insure that signal noise
and distortion standards for subscriber terminals are
maintained. Tests are done on all processing
and distribution equipment used in the cable plant.
In addition to the headend, tests are also performed
at points located at the end of the cable plant
to insure picture quality is within FCC guidelines.
The average system will have approximately 1000
tests perfromed within a 30 day period and these
tests are performed twice a year.
Launch Pay-Per-View Pay-per-view events have been offered on a limited
basis in Greeley for the past two years. Early in
1993, TCI Cablevision of Colorado, Inc, will
introduce fulltime pay-per-view capability with the
addition of Request I and II. Subscribers will have
the opportunity to order pay-per-view movies
anytime day or night simply by calling the hot line.
DMX Launch During the first quarter of 1993, we will be offering
Greeley residents an exclusive premium home music
service called Digital Music Express (DMX).
DMX provides pure compact disc - CD - quality
music 24 hours a day...without a single interruption.
DMX is thirty channels of music presented
conveniently at customers' fingertips. At the
touch of a remote customers can switch from
classical to country; from mainstream rock to
reggae, rap and Jan - all types and styles of music,
all rhythms and moods, brilliantly formatted
and delivered via satellite through the cable system
into homes and businesses. The signal arrives with
perfect fidelity, without distortion or degradation,
because of a patented compression technology
developed exlusively for DMX, the ultimate listening
experience in musical entertainment.
Primes tar PrimeStar Satellite Entertainment brings a wide
variety of television and audio entertainment. The
PrimeStar compact dish (just over three feet in
diameter) is hundreds of dollars less than
conventional satellite TV systems. PrimeStar offers
pay-per-view and stereo music along with clear,
crisp television reception.
Recall of
Set Top Converters In 1992, we extended our service to include
channels 37 and 38 and anticipate more channels in
1993. We are asking customers with set top
converters to return the converter to upgrade to
equipment that is capable of handling the current
number of channels and more as our lineup grows.
Service Reconfiguration
and Channel Realignment
On March 12, 1993, TCI Cablevision will reconfigure
our service levels to offer a reasonable priced entry
level service. Our Basic service level will include
broadcast station, public, education and government
access channels at a cost of only $10.00 per month.
Our Plus Service level will include all non-premium
cable services at a cost of $10.95. Together, our
Basic and Plus levels of service will remain the same.
Customers who want only Basic service will have the
option of subscribing also to premium services and
pay-per-view events. They will not have to subscribe
to Plus service to subscribe to premium services or
pay-per-view. The Federal Cable Act of 1992 will
require all systems to provide this premium service
options within ten years, but we have decided to
offer it immediately. This is an innovation that we
believe is a benefit for area residents.
Because we are reconfiguring our two service levels,
we need to rearrange some of our channels.
Beginning March 12, 1993, for technical reasons,
broadcast networks will be found on lower channel
numbers and cable networks on higher channel
numbers.
We know that any channel rearrangement may cause
some initial confusion for our customers, but we are
providing them with complete information that
explains the changes, including cards they can place
by their television set. We are also working the the
local media to get the word out. We want to
minimize the potential for confusion in any way we
can.
We are pleased to offer these reconfigured services
to our customers. We emphasize that for most of
our present customers, the changes will make no
difference. We believe that people who have not
subscribed to cable in the past may now want to do
so. In that way, the benefits of cable will be
extended to even more area residents.
1992 was a wonderful year at TCI Cablevision of Colorado, Inc., and we
hope we have made your year a little brighter, too. 1993 will be packed with
exciting changes and new services. Thank you for being a part of the
success which made our company and our community a better place to live.
As always, we welcome your comments.
Sincerely,
Kathryn L. Stewart
General Manager
TCI Cablevision of Colorado, Inc.
COMING SOON TO
YOUR CABLE TV
sm
10E • O • uEsT
PAY P E R -" VIEW
The Best in Movies, Sports and Specials
FEBRUARY'S HIT MOVIES
Batman Returns/Beethovan
Honey I Blew Up the Kids
Hook/Housesitter
A Stranger Among Us
Poison Ivy/Man Trouble
FernGully/Boomerang
Twin Peaks-Fire Walk With Me
Lethal Weapon 3
EXCLUSIVE EVENTS
Leonard Skynard LIVE
The Grand Slam of Boxing
A TCI Cablevision of
.M1 Colorado, Inc.
We're taking television into tomorrow
3737 West 10th Street
Greeley, CO 80634
351-0669
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