RELEASE: STATE APPROVES SPECTRUM OCEANIC, LLC CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL FOR THE COUNTY OF KAUAʻI
Posted on Nov 18, 2024 in News ReleasesSTATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS
KA ʻOIHANA PILI KĀLEPA
CABLE TELEVISION DIVISION
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
NADINE Y. ANDO
DIRECTOR
KA LUNA HOʻOKELE
RANDY M. LEONG
CABLE TELEVISION ADMINISTRATOR
STATE APPROVES SPECTRUM OCEANIC, LLC CABLE FRANCHISE RENEWAL FOR THE COUNTY OF KAUAʻI
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2024
HONOLULU – The state of Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Cable Television Division (CATV) has approved the Spectrum Oceanic, LLC (Spectrum) Application for Renewal of Cable Franchise for the County of Kauaʻi. The approval was executed in Decision and Order No. 386, which outlines the conditions and requirements for Spectrum’s continued use of public rights of way to deliver cable services to consumers.
The order authorizes the continuation of Spectrum’s cable services and the development and improvement of Spectrum’s video and communication infrastructure throughout the county. In return, Spectrum will endeavor to utilize the latest technology to offer a comprehensive array of programming, and to offer robust customer support services to the public. The decision comes after a comprehensive review process including a public hearing on February 2, 2017, and a public meeting in Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi on May 29, 2024. During this meeting, community members had the opportunity to provide comments and feedback on Spectrum’s renewal application, which were carefully considered by the DCCA.
“Following a careful evaluation and thoughtful negotiations, DCCA has approved Spectrum’s renewal application which provides for enhanced services on Kauaʻi,” said Nadine Ando, director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. “We look forward to the expanded community benefits and access to high-definition cablecasting for public access channels.”
Notable provisions of the Decision and Order include:
- Hōʻike Kauaʻi Community Media (Kaua‘i’s public access organization) will be provided with the option to cablecast its content in high-definition, ensuring a better viewing experience for subscribers.
- Spectrum will provide a total of 2,000 public service announcements for use by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s office, state legislature, county council and mayor, Department of Education, Hōʻike, and the University of Hawai‘i, so they may relay crucial information to the public.
- Spectrum will continue to provide dedicated public, educational and governmental channels for such things as academic lectures, cultural events, emergency broadcasts and informational content.
- Spectrum will continue to provide dedicated institutional network connections for use by county and state entities on Kauaʻi, to ensure reliable avenues of communication and data transfer.
- Spectrum to continue its support of locally originated programming with a wide range of content including local news, sports, cooking, pet care, healthy living and cultural education.
- Spectrum’s ongoing commitment to extend cable service to all feasible areas of the franchise areas, while keeping abreast of the latest technological advances.
More information, including all relevant documents and related filings regarding Spectrum’s franchise renewal agreements, is available on CATV website at http://cca.hawaii.gov/catv. Documents and filings are accessible at the following link for Spectrum’s County of Kaua‘i application.
Spectrum has a pending application for renewal of its cable franchises for the County of Maui. A public meeting is scheduled to be held in December to provide the public an opportunity to submit comments on the application.
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Media Contact:
William Nhieu
Communications Officer
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Phone: 808-586-7582
Email: [email protected]