THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 29, 1996 TAG: 9602280150
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
We've all complained to each other about Falcon Cable Television, but what good does that do? Editor John Pruitt has given us a forum to let our city officials know how fed up we are with high prices for poor service and lack of responsiveness by Falcon.
His two columns, ``Turn off excuses, improve cable TV'' (Feb. 15) and ``We've got to press for better service'' (Feb. 25), should be what we all need to get off our duffs and let Falcon and the City of Suffolk know, ``We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore.''
Aren't you fed up with paying such a high price for such poor service? Aren't you tired of waiting and waiting for a repairman who, if he shows up, is hours and hours late? Aren't you fed up with other cable companies adding more and more channels to the basic package and not increasing rates? Aren't you tired of having to pay for a cable converter box when other systems don't require one?
If you don't take the time to write or call, nothing will change. Promises by Falcon will be made, only to be broken again and again.
Falcon has a monopoly. The American College Dictionary defines monopoly as ``exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices.'' Sound anything close to how Falcon treats us?
From what I read in Mr. Pruitt's Feb. 25 column, Falcon Corporate doesn't know we're upset. Maybe the city should ask Falcon Corporate up for, let's say, a spirited discussion. If Falcon can't or won't change, maybe it's time to throw it out.
If the city really wants to know how upset its citizenry is, I would like to suggest two phone lines: one number for ``Boy, this is great service,'' and the second for ``Throw Falcon out.'' Then we would know once and for all.
Are we citizens more inclined to voice our concern to someone who can and should do something, or do we just want to complain about it year after year to one another?
Terry D. Mottley
Dumville Avenue
Suffolk by CNB