Blog Archive

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

2014 Will Include Many Cable Programming Issues and Decisions



There is a new link on our website that we hope you have noticed and clicked, www.tvonmyside.com   The Glasgow EPB, along with every other cable company in the country, will be dealing with many issues this year related to cable programming and the outlandish rates many of the programmers will be requesting.  Just in case you may have forgotten, or were unaware, over 90% of the channels on the EPB cable service require that we pay a monthly fee for the right to carry their programming. Some programming already carries a rate of more than $5.00 per subscriber/per month, for one channel!   Preliminary estimates have suggested that programmers will request increases this year of 100%, or more, for some channels. We purchase the majority of our programming through a cooperative called NCTC.  The new link is provided by NCTC to help educate and inform all cable customers of the ongoing negotiations with these various programmers.

Added to this already confusing mix is the fact that we must negotiate with the broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.), to carry them on our cable service.  These are the same channels that just a few short years ago we received via antenna directly into our homes and who negotiated a wonderful deal so that they use our public airwaves for free.  Every three years each cable service across the country must renegotiate with these programmers, and unfortunately 2014 finds all of us in that process again.  We currently pay well over $10,000 per month just for these channels. One more thing to remember, all of the money for programming is removed from the Glasgow economy and sent to a corporation whose CEO typically receives multi-million dollar pay packages.

We’re going to be talking to you a lot in the coming months, and we want your input as we try to make these difficult and costly decisions.  You can always reach us at epb@glasgow-ky.com or on our FB page at Glasgow Electric Plant Board. Or you may contact any of the following local citizens serving on our Programming Committee and who make final recommendations to our Board of Directors relative to all programming matters: Petie McLean, Joe Trigg, Mary Burchett-Bower, Beverly Vance, Karl Napier and Jodi Crane.  
Thursday, February 13, 2014

It was Twenty Years Ago



In light of the date and the present news about the storm affecting so many of our neighbors, we thought you might like to relive (in memory only) our big ice storm. 

The ice storm of 1994 struck on the evening of Thursday, February 10.  The entire area awoke to heavy ice, the sounds of falling branches and uprooting trees, and the inevitable result of electrical outages as the trees and ice destroyed a large part of the Glasgow EPB electric system.  At that time the EPB had a total of 33 employees, all who reported to work as quickly as they could navigate the obstacle course of downed lines and trees, only to find that the majority of the city was without power. It seemed that everyone was calling our office in hopes that we could perform quick fixes.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible as the damage was severe.  For the next five days our employees worked around the clock, rotating shifts for a few quick hours of sleep in a few rooms obtained at a local hotel, on the sofa in our lobby, or in a vacant office.  We resorted to calling Bowling Green, Frankfort and Louisville, who gratefully answered our pleas and sent in additional crews and equipment.  By noon on Saturday approximately one-half of our customers had their power restored, with approximately 90% back in service by midday on Monday.

While those of us who were employees at the time never want to relive those days, we did witness some amazing things about our community.  Did we receive angry, even threatening, phone calls.  Were our crews in the field accosted and even harassed if they stopped for a brief moment to eat a quick meal? Unfortunately, that happened too. People were without a fundamental need, and we were the logical ones to lash out at in the situation.  But they were the minority.  There were far more individuals who found a way to pull together to work through the situation, and even help us in the process. Neighbors reached out to each other and had neighborhood “dinners” prepared on grills as their refrigerators and freezers failed.  Restaurant and grocery store owners came to our offices carrying food that they could no longer use in order to feed our crews and staff.  Both funeral homes opened their doors to act as shelters and provide comfort for those in need.  And people even showed up at our door from nearby cities with chainsaws and gasoline in hand, saying they had heard about our problems and offered to clear ways for our crews to get to some areas. 

During the past 20 years we have made a lot of improvements to our service.  We now have two TVA delivery point substations with alternate feeds that can provide power to our city, and although it upsets some people, immediately after the storm we instituted a  tree trimming policy that helps prevent a repeat of that event.  Our EPB team members are your neighbors, friends and families, and we are proud to have served you for the past 51 years.  While we certainly hope that we never experience another event of that magnitude, please know that we are always here to serve our community – no matter the weather or circumstances.