Council votes to increase cable rates

CNS cable subscribers will see their monthly bill jump an average of five percent beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
The Cairo City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve the new rate structure which, according to City Manager Chris Addleton, only covers the city-owned cable system’s increased programming costs.
Addleton also notes that the city’s rates remain lower than chief competitor Mediacom.
The increased rates range from $2 more a month up to $4 per month more.
“Every year we review our costs in regard to cable television and our costs continue to increase, particularly with the sports networks and the fees we pay to the local channels including WALB and WCTV to rebroadcast their signal,” the city manager explained.
The increased rates are part of the city’s continued push to improve the finances of the cable system.
“With these rate increases we are just offsetting our costs. We’ve improved CNS’ financial position overall, but we need to continue to look at our rates every year,” Addleton said.
The city manager is not recommending any increase to phone or Internet services.
Councilman Ernest Cloud Jr. suggested the city consider adding the NFL Network to the CNS lineup. Councilman James H. (Jimmy) Douglas said he, too, had received numerous requests for the channel to be added.
“I realize it is an expensive channel, but I have had a lot of folks asking about it,” Douglas said.
Mayor Richard VanLandingham suggested the city manager discuss it at an upcoming South Georgia Governmental Services Authority meeting. The SGGSA is the governing authority over the CNS system which is owned jointly by Cairo, Camilla, Moultrie and Thomasville.
The mayor asked for a cost projection to be provided and the council could make a decision at that time.
According to information provided to the council by Addleton, the new CNS rates remain much lower than Mediacom, anywhere from $8 to $39.80 per month cheaper.