New York Man's 5-Year Fight for Service Takes 1st Place in Worst Cable Nightmare Contest; 'Cable Dragon You Down?' Web site Theme Rings in New Year

New York Man's 5-Year Fight for Service Takes 1st Place in Worst Cable Nightmare Contest; 'Cable Dragon You Down?' Web site Theme Rings in New Year

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Think your wait for the cable guy was too long? Count yourself lucky you aren't David Shapiro, who waged a five-year long battle that took him from town to state government offices before he could get affordable cable television service at his New York home.

"I felt like I was the only one in the world left on dial-up," said Shapiro, who by day works on supercomputers for IBM but until October depended on spotty dial-up connections to reach the electronic world.

Shapiro's saga earned him an iPod Nano and the dubious honor of submitting December's worst cable horror story to http://www.mycablenightmare.com/ , a Web site that offers frustrated consumers a forum to vent about bad cable TV service. It offers the monthly contest as a consolation prize for those who have suffered the most. The Web site's current theme, "Cable Dragon You Down?" wonders if 2006 will be The Year of The Cable Rate Increase (Again.)

Consumers for Cable Choice (C4CC), a national alliance of individuals and groups working for cable TV competition to control prices and to improve program offerings and customer service, sponsors the cable nightmare Web site.

"David's story is a clear example of why we need competition in the cable TV market right away," said Robert K. Johnson, C4CC president. "Incumbent cable companies have no incentive to value consumers, and as a result, rates are skyrocketing while customer service is plummeting. Competition will reverse that course."

Shapiro, one of the newest members of C4CC, learned firsthand about the need for regulatory reform in 2000 when he sought cable service at his home, which is in the town of Esopus near the Highland town border. Shapiro has a Highland address, but cable service was available only through Esopus. In separate offers over five years, the company authorized to serve his neighborhood offered to install cable at Shapiro's house for fees ranging from more than $18,000 to nearly $26,500. The Highland-based cable company would install for free, but it didn't have an Esopus franchise and as such, couldn't legally make the connection.

Frustrated and unwilling to pay such a premium for installation, Shapiro repeatedly appealed to town officials and the New York State Public Service Commission (Case No. 427808). Finally, the Town of Esopus applied for a second cable franchise and won the state approval it needed to offer competition.

In October 2005, Shapiro finally got cable service through the new provider. His installation cost: zero dollars. He bought the company's triple play of Internet/phone/television service, eliminating three land lines for phone service, along with his monthly dial-up Internet Service Provider fee. Total savings were over $100 month.

"I wouldn't have been as frustrated by my lack of high-speed access if the entire area around me also couldn't get it," Shapiro said. "But around here, almost everyone else already had high speed Internet service. At work I was the only one stuck on dial-up service."

Johnson said the Web site compilation of cable nightmares is designed to demonstrate to policy makers just how badly reform is needed. "If you think Dave's experience is bad -- and it is -- look at our Top Ten Cable Nightmares of 2005," Johnson said, referring to the Worst of the Worst list from 2005 available by contacting Cheryl Reed at cherylreed@synergy-mg.com .

About Consumers for Cable Choice, Inc.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind. Consumers for Cable Choice, Inc. is a national alliance of consumer advocacy groups, private citizens and others who are committed to promoting maximum choice for consumers in cable, video and broadband services. Consumers for Cable Choice uses a combination of education and grassroots advocacy to impact change, which will result in a deregulated and pro-consumer market that stimulates fair price, more choices and better service options in the cable television industry. President Robert K. Johnson has been advocating for policies that benefit residential and small business consumers for more than 20 years. To learn more, visit http://www.consumers4choice.org/ or http://www.mycablenightmare.com/ .

Source: Consumers for Cable Choice, Inc.

CONTACT: Cheryl Reed, +1-317-446-5240, cherylreed@synergy-mg.com , for
Consumers for Cable Choice, Inc.

Web site: http://www.consumers4choice.org/
http://www.mycablenightmare.com/

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