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Q&A
Potential for removing cable from Big Apple Connect program
1:23:54
·
71 sec
Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez questions the continued inclusion of cable in the Big Apple Connect program, given trends in cable subscription. Brett Sikoff responds to these inquiries.
- Gutiérrez notes dwindling cable subscriptions and increased streaming on phones or devices
- She questions the necessity of keeping cable as part of the subscription
- Gutiérrez suggests considering removing the cable component in future negotiations
- Sikoff agrees to look into the option but expresses uncertainty about removing cable
- OTI sees a benefit in providing basic cable services for local news and community access
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:23:54
Yeah.
1:23:55
I get it.
1:23:55
I get that the intent was like the cable was kind of an act like kind of a a bonus.
1:24:01
But, again, I think there's dwindling cable subscriptions.
1:24:05
And if we're paying at all any more money for cable, I'm just curious the intention of, like, keeping cable as part of that subscription.
1:24:16
If they're if we're, like if all these providers are seeing dwindling subscriptions, people are not necessarily, watching cable.
1:24:21
They're streaming it on their phones or their devices.
1:24:24
And then I think it's important for you all to as part of your contract because the cable piece, it seems like very crucial to this designation.
1:24:35
I think it's important that you all ask, well, how many of them how many of these 330,000 units are even connecting to cable?
1:24:42
Is there a clause or is there a possibility for you all to work that piece out of your renegotiations and your renewals?
Brett Sikoff
1:24:49
We could take a look.
1:24:50
I I I don't know offhand whether that's option or one that we would want to consider frankly.
1:24:55
I mean we we do realize there's a benefit to providing the basic cable services to to folks so that they can stay connected not just online but also to the local news and the community access organizations
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:25:06
and tech Is that part of your is that I'm sorry.