Two representatives from Comcast’s Government and Regulatory Affairs department joined the Greenbelt City Council on November 20 for its first worksession since the recent election. The status of the franchise agreement between Prince George’s County and Comcast, which has been in negotiations since 2014, was one of the first points of discussion.
“We are confident that we will be able to reach terms soon that are mutually beneficial to Comcast as well as the participating franchise authorities,” said Adeyinka Ogunlegan, the manager of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Comcast. Senior Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Stacy Burnette pointed out that the parties are close to an agreement because they are now exchanging whole documents to review instead of detailed terms. “It’s a multimillion dollar contract. Both parties are very cautious and want to make sure there is an equal exchange of benefits,” Burnette said. She also noted, from her experience working as cable regulator, that this time frame is not unusual for negotiations. She said that on average franchise agreements take two years to negotiate.
A few councilmembers then raised concerns about rising costs and losing access to certain channels. The representatives suggested to call Xfinity and ask about promotions and package options. For more on this story, click here.