Norwood Selectmen Oppose Cablevision’s Proposed Rate Hike-August 7, 1986

NORWOOD — Town selectmen voted last night to schedule a public hearing at Junior High South to give residents a platform to voice their opposition to a proposed 32 percent rate hike sought by Adams Russell Cablevision, while demanding that company representatives justify the increase. The hearing date was slated to be finalized, with officials seeking to challenge the timing and validity of the price jumps. “I think they should explain why the system is incomplete and why all the razzle-dazzle in the license,” stated Selectman William F. Butters, who spearheaded the pushback alongside Cable Communications Commissioner Gordon Smith. Butters announced plans to secure a legal opinion from town counsel prior to the meeting regarding the legality of the hike, arguing that a contractual two-year rate freeze has not yet begun because the network remains incomplete. Smith echoed these sentiments, noting, “I don’t want to say the rate increases are outrageous, but they’re unjustified on the basis of their commitments” outlined in the original 1980 franchise agreement.

Adams Russell General Manager Jay Somers defended the adjustment, explaining that the increased revenue is necessary to “maintain the present high level of cable television service in Norwood” amidst rising operational expenses. Somers asserted that the company viewed September 1 as the two-year anniversary of the system’s completion date and noted that they had delayed imposing the increase even though permitted by Federal Communications Commission guidelines. However, Butters contended that the company has failed to fulfill core contractual obligations—citing dropped television stations without prior notice, a missing monthly program guide, the absence of a full-time manager and educational coordinator, and an unfinished “institutional loop” designed for videotaping at municipal offices and community buildings. Although a federal congressional vote the previous year prohibited certain local rate freezes, Butters maintained that Norwood’s pre-existing contract should supersede the new law.

Town leaders expressed mixed expectations regarding the outcome of a legal battle. Selectman Walter Dempsey, who proposed the public hearing, suggested that utilities rarely receive the full rate increases they request and hoped negotiation could modify the terms. Conversely, Selectman Chairman John Kinnaly predicted that Adams Russell would proceed with the hikes regardless of a board vote, stating, “Ultimately, we’re going to have a legal hassle, no matter how you look at it.” Kinnaly added that residents retain the ultimate consumer recourse, noting, “There’s a simple solution—don’t subscribe.” Under the company’s proposal slated for September 1, basic service would remain at $4.50 per month, but the “Supercable” package would surge from $7.50 to $14.50, and additional television hookup fees would jump from $2.50 to $6.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger