[BC] Comcast Cuts FM Service In Bay Area

[BOB MATZNER]

Comcast cuts back on FM service;
Listeners in 31 North and East Bay communities object to cable company's
decision

Copyright 2005 The Chronicle Publishing Co.

The San Francisco Chronicle

MAY 9, 2005, MONDAY, FINAL EDITION

Todd Wallack, Chronicle Staff Writer

For decades, Don Schwartz tuned in to local FM radio stations nearly every
week for hours -- listening to everything from NPR storyteller Garrison
Keillor to the Grateful Dead.

But Schwartz recently turned on his stereo and heard only silence. Like many
other area residents, Schwartz relied on Comcast, the Bay Area's largest
cable TV provider, to provide FM signals because he had trouble picking them
up over the airwaves. But Comcast abruptly stopped providing the service in
dozens of local communities three months ago.

"I'm absolutely furious," said Schwartz, an actor and writer who lives in
Larkspur. "I'm totally lost having no access to FM, which was a huge part of
my life."

Comcast said it turned off the service in 31 area cities, mostly in the East
Bay and North Bay, in February to make room on the cable system for other
offerings, like more high-definition TV channels, expanded video-on-demand,
faster high-speed Internet service and telephone service.

A spokesman said Comcast found that customers ranked FM radio service near
the bottom of most-wanted services. Many told The Chronicle they didn't even
know the service existed.

"We found there was extremely low usage of the FM audio service," said
company spokesman Andrew Johnson.

Comcast still provides the service in a few dozen cities, like Concord,
Clayton and Santa Rosa, where it is required to do so under its franchise
agreement.

But some customers insist the service is essential in other areas, like
Marin County, where steep hills block many residents from picking up their
favorite stations over the airwaves.

The Marin Telecommunications Agency, which oversees cable TV in the county,
received 500 complaints about Comcast's decision to cut off the service.
Hundreds of people packed an agency board meeting two weeks ago when the
topic was discussed even though Comcast and its predecessors had done little
to promote the service through the years.

"People are pretty upset about it," said Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San
Rafael. "I think Comcast was surprised at the volume and number of
complaints."

Several customers said they were even more annoyed because they did not find
out in advance that the service would be cut off. Comcast said it placed
notices in local newspapers, but did not notify every customer directly.

Since then, state lawmakers and local officials have tried to pressure
Comcast to restore the service, but admit their clout is limited. While the
franchise agreement in Marin County refers to FM service, it doesn't
explicitly require that Comcast provide it.

And it's just one item on a lengthy list of items the agency hopes to secure
in a new franchise agreement.

"There's relatively little we can do at this point of time," said Martin
Nichols, the agency's executive director. "Comcast has pretty much told
everyone they are not going to restore FM over cable."

Meanwhile, Comcast has offered to work on alternatives, such as building a
new antenna to better serve the community. A spokeswoman also noted that
many customers can already listen to radio stations via the Internet or
their own antenna.

That hasn't satisfied everyone.

"I want it back," said Stewart Miller, a financial consultant in San Rafael,
who listened to the FM service almost every day. "If they asked me to pay
some extra money for it, I probably would."

CED Editor's note: A Comcast spokesman said he was not aware of any other
markets where the MSO had removed the FM service. The FM service offered in
the Bay Area was a relatively unique offering designed to offer strong FM
signals despite the region's hilly terrain.