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MCV increases rates
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Posted on Dec 02 1998
Marianas CableVision announced yesterday that its rates will increase by $2 starting January 15 next year. Accordingly, its basic-channel service will cost $18.95 a month, the supervision service $10.95, said Joe Butters, MCV general manager.
MCV cites plant expansion and rising programming fees as reasons for the increase, its news release said.
“We have informed our subscribers of the change,” Butters said. “We explained that the adjustment in the rates primarily has to do with the rising costs of programming, new plant, typhoon (damage) repair. ”
He said being the only cable system in the CNMI has not played to MCV’s benefit. Typhoon-damage repair, illegal and delinquent accounts and an ailing economy have combined to create revenue loss for the company, the news release added.
“Without these adjustments to our rates, our ability to operate this year, as well as the coming years would have been seriously impaired,” he said.
Butters adds that even with the increase, rates for cable TV services in the CNMI are at same level or, in many cases, even lower than charges of U.S. cable systems.
In Florida, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington, subscribers pay higher for fewer channels, Butters said.
He also said that starting January MCV will introduce new channels such as SPN, or the Sports Pacific Network in Nauru. MCV expects that the addition will expand coverage of sports events from around the Pacific region.
Also, PAX TV, a new family-oriented cable network from the U.S. with a lineup of old and new favorites, and Animal Planet, a sister network of the Discovery Channel, which gives a daily view of the wonders of the animal kingdom, will be added.
