Provo City and TCI Cable-vision of Utah Inc. have negotiated a new contract that will be presented to the City Council on Tuesday evening.
Officials from the city and TCI declined to discuss the particulars of the agreement until a 5 p.m. Tuesday news conference at the city offices. "We will release all the details at that time," said Dan McCarty, TCI state manager.City Attorney Gary Gregerson and Ray-lene Ireland, administrative assistant to Mayor Joe Jenkins, hammered out the deal with TCI for nearly a year. TCI's 10-year, non-exclusive contract with the city expired in December.
"As the negotiating team, we feel good about recommending it to the council," Ireland said. "Our feeling is that we got everything we asked for."
The council, which must formally adopt the contract, will not act on it until after holding a public hearing later this month on a date yet to be determined. Tuesday's council meeting begins at 7 p.m.
The cable television issue has raised the blood pressure of many Provo residents. "I would say it is the single hottest issue (in the city)," Ireland said.
TCI has been battered with citizen complaints about its service. And city offices have been inundated with calls and letters from dissatisfied TCI customers. Residents have complained that reception is poor, the service costs too much, doesn't provide enough channels and isn't available in some neighborhoods.