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Performance.

By PAMELA C. TURFA pamt@leader.net
 Friday, January 30, 2004 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





Most Adelphia Cable Co. broadcast cable customers will pay slightly higher
rates beginning March 1. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But, Back Mountain customers - who face back-to-back rate increases face
double-digit percentage increases. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In a letter to customers, Adelphia, the region's largest cable television
company, blamed the general increases on competition and higher operating
costs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Back Mountain customers have one rate increase because their service was
upgraded in December and another because of the higher general rate increase. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For most customers, the new rate for ``Classic Cable'' service will
increase bills about 7 percent. For Back Mountain customers, the combined
higher rates increase ``Classic Cable'' bills almost 30 percent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company's digital customers whose rates went up last fall - will not
see another overall increase, Adelphia announced. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company has announced the following rate changes: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The cost of Adelphia Classic Cable - including broadcast basic and
expanded broadcast basic service - is increasing $2.95 per month from $42.99
to $45.94, a 7 percent increase. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Until December, Back Mountain customers paid $35.40 per month for classic
cable. In the span of two months, their bills are going up almost 30 percent. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Rates for broadcast basic service a minimal 11 or 12 channels, depending
on where the customer lives and installation will not change. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Digital service rates will decline $3.95 per month. The new rates start at
$10.45 and go up to $45.45, depending on the package chosen. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That decrease will be offset by the $2.95 per month additional charge for
classic cable - which is part of digital service - and an additional $1 per
month charge to lease a digital receiver. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The cost of HBO and Cinemax movie channels also is increasing - from $14
to $15.95 per month for one channel and from $22 to $25.95 per month for both.
Until December, Back Mountain customers paid $10.95 per month for one premium
channel. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``The way Adelphia has changed its packaging, you basically start with
Adelphia Classic Cable'' and add premium channels, digital service and
high-speed data transmission, said regional General Manager Mark DeStefano. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A customer who takes it all - the ultimate digital package - would receive
more than 300 channels and highspeed Internet service and would pay more than
$100 per month. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The company has spent several years upgrading its system. Customers across
the system faced increases as their portion of the upgrade was complete. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Back Mountain was the last area to be upgraded. The company has about
6,800 Classic Cable customers in the Back Mountain, less than 7 percent of the
100,000 total customers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 DeStefano said he has sympathy for the Back Mountain customers. ``Those
customers are going to be impacted a little bit more,'' he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In addition, the company is introducing digital video recorders to
Northeastern Pennsylvania customers who have access to digital cable. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With a digital video recorder, customers can record and store up to 50
hours of programming and can delay the start of television programs or pause
the program as it airs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The recordings are stored in the recorder, not on a video cassette tape. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The digital video recorders lease for $7.95 per month. Customers would be
billed an additional $4.95 per month service fee but would no longer have a
$4.50 per month fee for a digital receiver. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 DeStefano said the extensive price menu allows customers to pick and choose
the services they want. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We can't put product out there and ask all of our customers to subscribe
to it,'' he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pamela C. Turfa, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7177. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Adelphia Cable Rates To Increase Hike Is Much Higher In Back Mountain Than Elsewhere