Bad TV Reception? You're Not Alone
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Frustration has been growing among Atlantic Broadband customers about television reception, and one person took his concerns to Bradford City Council Tuesday.
Bradford resident Brad Mangel said, with the franchise contract coming up for renewal in a couple of years, maybe the city could do something.
“The lower channels are terrible and they’re not doing anything about it,” Mangel said.
"This new digital TV …was supposed to be a Godsend. Well, to me, it’s made my television reception worse,” he added.
Police Chief Chris Lucco asked if Mangel had tried contacting the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Mangel said cable companies are not governed by the PUC.
“I wish I could go to the PUC,” he said, “but it wouldn’t do any good.”
"I’ll keep complaining to Atlantic Broadband and they’ll keep telling me it’s a satellite signal and clouds get in front of them, and I know better. I think they have some issues with their lines,” Mangel said. “Hopefully when the franchise negations come up , maybe they’ll have the problem solved – or maybe we’ll have to put some pressure on them.”
Fire Chief Boo Coder was a Bradford Township supervisor and member of the Tuna Valley Council of Governments the last time the franchise contract was negotiated. He said the municipalities in the COG hired a lawyer to help in the negotiations, and even the attorney didn’t help all that much.
“There are so few things you can do, it was kind of waste of money to hire him,” Coder said. “You can’t dictate channels. You can't dictate who you pick as far as a cable server goes. You’re kind of locked into exactly what you have.”
Mayor Tom Riel said the chance of getting another franchise to come in is slim because Atlantic Broadband owns the lines. Councilman Fred Proper added that being in a smaller market doesn’t help Bradford either.
Also Tuesday, council approved a change order to the Holley Avenue Roof Replacement Project that adds $24,330 to the cost.
Proper said once the project started the contractor discovered myriad problems well beyond the scope of what was planned.
Among the problems is that part of the building has a “double roof” that no one knew about before the work started.
“You wouldn’t have even thought to look and see if there were two roofs,” said Roy Pedersen of E&M Engineers during a work session before the council meeting.
Another problem is that the boards in the building were in worse shape than expected. An intern for E&M had his feet go through some of the boards. Some of the wood is rotted; some is charred from a past fire.
“(The change order) is not a contractor trying to gouge an owner,” Pedersen said.
Another option the city had besides forking out the extra money – which is coming from the recycling, Holley Avenue, and capital reserve budget line items – was covering up the leaking roof until next year.
“We’re not putting blue tarps on city buildings,” Riel quipped.
Also Tuesday, council approved a liquor license transfer from a Kane business to Callinan Enterprises, which is opening Tortuga’s Mexican restaurant on Main Street on Thursday.
Council also approved façade improvement grants to John Kohler for 25 Main Street; Sam Sylvester for 41 Main Street; Jonathon Pingie for 12 Mechanic Street; and Kelly Martin for 27 Main Street.
And, council authorized a special events waiver for Festa Italiana being held August 12, 13 and 14 on Festival Way. The waiver is to allow alcoholic beverages to be consumed in plastic containers on the property during the hours the event is open to the public.
And, yes, for your listening pleasure:
We Jumped in the Creek to Keep Cool
WESB/WBRR News Director
Frustration has been growing among Atlantic Broadband customers about television reception, and one person took his concerns to Bradford City Council Tuesday.
Bradford resident Brad Mangel said, with the franchise contract coming up for renewal in a couple of years, maybe the city could do something.
“The lower channels are terrible and they’re not doing anything about it,” Mangel said.
"This new digital TV …was supposed to be a Godsend. Well, to me, it’s made my television reception worse,” he added.
Police Chief Chris Lucco asked if Mangel had tried contacting the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Mangel said cable companies are not governed by the PUC.
“I wish I could go to the PUC,” he said, “but it wouldn’t do any good.”
"I’ll keep complaining to Atlantic Broadband and they’ll keep telling me it’s a satellite signal and clouds get in front of them, and I know better. I think they have some issues with their lines,” Mangel said. “Hopefully when the franchise negations come up , maybe they’ll have the problem solved – or maybe we’ll have to put some pressure on them.”
Fire Chief Boo Coder was a Bradford Township supervisor and member of the Tuna Valley Council of Governments the last time the franchise contract was negotiated. He said the municipalities in the COG hired a lawyer to help in the negotiations, and even the attorney didn’t help all that much.
“There are so few things you can do, it was kind of waste of money to hire him,” Coder said. “You can’t dictate channels. You can't dictate who you pick as far as a cable server goes. You’re kind of locked into exactly what you have.”
Mayor Tom Riel said the chance of getting another franchise to come in is slim because Atlantic Broadband owns the lines. Councilman Fred Proper added that being in a smaller market doesn’t help Bradford either.
Also Tuesday, council approved a change order to the Holley Avenue Roof Replacement Project that adds $24,330 to the cost.
Proper said once the project started the contractor discovered myriad problems well beyond the scope of what was planned.
Among the problems is that part of the building has a “double roof” that no one knew about before the work started.
“You wouldn’t have even thought to look and see if there were two roofs,” said Roy Pedersen of E&M Engineers during a work session before the council meeting.
Another problem is that the boards in the building were in worse shape than expected. An intern for E&M had his feet go through some of the boards. Some of the wood is rotted; some is charred from a past fire.
“(The change order) is not a contractor trying to gouge an owner,” Pedersen said.
Another option the city had besides forking out the extra money – which is coming from the recycling, Holley Avenue, and capital reserve budget line items – was covering up the leaking roof until next year.
“We’re not putting blue tarps on city buildings,” Riel quipped.
Also Tuesday, council approved a liquor license transfer from a Kane business to Callinan Enterprises, which is opening Tortuga’s Mexican restaurant on Main Street on Thursday.
Council also approved façade improvement grants to John Kohler for 25 Main Street; Sam Sylvester for 41 Main Street; Jonathon Pingie for 12 Mechanic Street; and Kelly Martin for 27 Main Street.
And, council authorized a special events waiver for Festa Italiana being held August 12, 13 and 14 on Festival Way. The waiver is to allow alcoholic beverages to be consumed in plastic containers on the property during the hours the event is open to the public.
And, yes, for your listening pleasure:
We Jumped in the Creek to Keep Cool
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