Comcast cleared to takeover Phila. cable providers

Penn students living in college houses might soon have better quality cable television and access to Philadelphia professional sports broadcasts thanks to a possible deal with Comcast Communications.

The cable giant was cleared to takeover the last non-Comcast controlled franchises on Monday by the Philadelphia City Council's Public Property Committee.

Currently, areas in North, Northwest and West Philadelphia -- including Penn's campus -- are provided with cable service by Time Warner. The move to purchase the franchise would mean that Comcast would become Philadelphia's sole cable provider.

University officials say that the move could benefit Penn students but stress that it is too early to know what possible ramifications there could be.

Penn Video Producer for Information Systems and Computing Chris Cook said that Penn could enjoy increased quality from Comcast.

"Comcast is a great company," Cook said. "So if there were to be changes, we expect that there will be great opportunities for Penn."

The University currently provides its own cable through a closed circuit network and is not reliant on cable companies for programming.

"We have our own satellite dishes and our own network," Cook said. "It's not like we're taking a feed from a local cable company and taking a bill."

Nevertheless, good relations with the local provider are essential since they are contracted to help Penn maintain its network, broker programming from outside providers and provide technology for broadcasting events such as commencement.

Comcast Spokesman Jeff Alexander said that the media giant would look to be an active community partner with the University.

"I would say that we would take the appropriate amount of time to assess to the current operation in the Time Warner area," Alexander said. "We would be grateful for the opportunity to serve the area."

Comcast has received praise from city officials for its philanthropy to Philadelphia, which includes over half a million dollars to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Southwest Community Development Corporation -- both of which are based in a West Philadelphia area Comcast does not currently serve.

Cook said that one possible outcome of a Comcast takeover would be the joining of the network with Penn's in order to allow Penn programming to be available off-campus and would allow Comcast's popular sports channel SportsNet to be available to students.

"It's a channel that is not available by satellite," Cook said. "Physically we have no way of receiving that channel to be able to redistribute it to students" at this point.

Mike Palladino, Penn's Associate Vice President for Networking and Communications, said that a deal with Comcast could affect prices for students down the line.

"For the next three years we are reasonably well protected" against cost increases because of contracts, Palladino said. "Once we start going in and changing the channel lineup it might have a cost impact."

In the event of a takeover, Comcast "will honor what we have contractually," Palladino said. "We will probably be in a better position to get more programming possibly at a better price -- but you never know."

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