One: $11.25 Local Programming Fee To Be Added
Beginning in March, “One Communications’ residential FibreWire TV customers will have a Local Programming Fee added to their invoice of $11.25 per month,” the company said.
One Communications statement:
A spokesperson said, “Following months of protracted negotiations between One Communications and Bermuda Broadcasting Company [BBC], the Telecommunications Commission set new rates for the retransmission of Channels 7 [ZFB] and 9 [ZBM]. The Commission’s final decision is retroactive in effect from November 1, 2020.
“Beginning on March 1, 2021, One Communications’ residential FibreWire TV customers will have a Local Programming Fee added to their invoice of $11.25 per month to cover the increased fees and retroactive nature of the changes.”
Brian Lonergan, One Communications Chief Commercial Officer said, “Over the last 8 years, we have ensured that our TV customers were unaffected by increased programming costs charged by content providers. Given the magnitude of these new rate increases for retransmission of ZFB and ZBM, additional fees are no longer avoidable.
“We want to assure our customers that we did everything possible to minimize these rates, and we will continue to negotiate against content rate increases in the future. In addition to providing popular ABC and CBS content, these channels provide viewers with important local news, special event coverage and sports programming. The new Local Programming Fee ensures our customers have access to BBC’s channels for years to come.”
“For all customer related questions and concerns, please contact One Communications customer care team by calling 441.700.7000 or by emailing info@onecomm.bm,” the company added.
BBC statement:
A BBC spokesperson told Bernews, “The decision to increase retransmission rates was made by the independent Telecommunications Commission.
“The BBC has lobbied for years for rates that more closely reflect market value and international industry standards, in light of the ever-increasing costs of purchasing and producing TV content, including the nightly local news and exclusive network affiliate programmes.
“Over the last many years, the BBC has been unable to raise the rates for its channels. If OneComm now decides to raise their rates higher than what was determined by the Telecommunications Commission and pass costs directly onto their Bermuda customers, that is OneComms’ decision alone.
“It is notable that other local cable TV providers, who are paying similar rates to the BBC, have not raised their customer fees. The BBC is proud to have served Bermuda for over seventy years.”
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“the Telecommunications Commission set new rates for the retransmission of Channels 7 [ZFB] and 9 [ZBM]. The Commission’s final decision is retroactive in effect from November 1, 2020.”
Despite what BBC says, it looks like a tax to me.
Of course it’s a tax. A stealth tax. $135 per year to watch local TV.
local crap. can’t watch sailing cause of weather yet i managed to watch on my computer.give me a break.The rice is absolutely ridiculous and then watch local adds or adds whenever they feel like interrupting a show.
One Communications always passing the buck. $16 million dollars in profits last year in Bermuda. How much more can they squeeze out of their customers?
Meanwhile, they continue to engage in share repurchases.
So let me get this straight, any resident with a rabbit ear antennae can access channel 7 and 9 for free, yet now a surcharge is being added to one comms cable bills when they provide these free channels through their signal? Absolutely ridiculous. Will one comm offer a channel line up without 7 and 9 to avoid this extra charge or is the charge mandatory for all subscribers?
Just when you think cable costs couldn’t get much higher they go and do this……in a pandemic no less. I will be cancelling my service, isp and all.
One Comm have already stated that they will not provide their service without channels 7 & 9. This means that they will force all of their customers to pay for their inflated price. The RA should force them to give customers the option of paying only if they want the service.
Sorry, clearasmud, but if you look at places like Canada, you will see that they have a rule that if you are providing such a service you must include local content. This is not a uniquely Bermudian issue.
I would like to hear how much BBC will actually get and what is ONE’sextra profit rate raise
Just drop the TV service, free yourself of idiotic god botherer channels. Go get a vpn service and iptv.
Eventually it will get to the point that TV will have to go. I cannot sustain these rates. The poor getting slammed again.
How many times over just this year alone , our Cable and Internet has gone off, pixelated and froze , been called in, and we have gone weeks without cable because we are put on a waiting list for a technician to arrive? Stupid crap!
We are getting less and a whole bunch of unnecessary channels charged that are unwanted, now to pay more for!
You must still be with Logic Communications
not only that half the english stations are overdubbed in spanish a language don’t speak or comprehend
BBC getting greedy and making ONE their collector!! There has always been a charge by BBC per customer and cable having the majority of customers it makes up most of BBC revenue, but its been hidden in the tv package. But now its too obvious an increase that its enforced on ONE or they would stop providing their channel.
Earlier in the year they advertised and told us to call ONE as ONE was going to stop broadcasting local TV. They also blamed ONE for the poor quality of the TV rebroadcast and that it didn’t fill the screen.
100% passthrough for Channel 7. Disgraceful and deflection by the BBC by trying to get us the consumer to fight for you to get more money whilst providing a bad service to ONE to again get us your customer to complain so you get your gains! But they wont honestly comment to prevent their popularity being impacted but instead stay quiet and protect its main revenue stream, and let another company be blamed and the ‘independent Telecommunications Commission’ !!
When I called last year to find out what was going on with that message that was scrolling across the screen the local One rep assured me that they were not going to pass along any increases to the customer and that if they had to they would figure out a way for us to keep our local channels even if it meant supplying an additional antennae with some sort of a crossover system.
It now seems that something has changed and not for the better .
Mag box it is.
One Communications otherwise know as One Miscommunication.
Their cable tv programs are absolute crap anyways. You have to have all these religious channels and channels that have commercials in Spanish. Now they want to charge for 2 Over-The-Air channels.
I got rid of them before, changed to Digicel but they were awful so changed back BUT now l I am getting rid of them again.
Going with BlueWave, fantastic Internet service, hope the TV will be just as good.
In case anyone forgets we started being charged $2.50 per month for BBC about 4 years ago so now the privilege of having them (made mandatory according to One) will now actually cost us $13.25
Why do I not hear of such charges or issues with WOW and Digicell tv , only (Cablevision) One ?
Bermuda Broadcasting Co should consider themselves damn lucky that One (Cablevision) includes it in their lineup as without it they would not be in 18,000+ homes and their advertisers would be throwing their money away sponsoring anything on 9 and 7 . If anything the BBC should be paying One to carry them !
Cablevision (now One) has made a fortune off of their ridiculous bundling packages as it is and now we have to get stiffed for this ?
I want my local programming and will not switch to ‘stick tv’ or whatever some people call it but if I can get out of this total ripoff scheme I will , as soon as possible.
Incidentally , does anyone remember the message on 7 and 9 that was scrolling across the screen a few months ago saying that if you wanted to retain 7 and 9 to call One and let them know ?
Well, that was a message inserted by BBC into their programming. One had nothing to do with it and couldn’t avoid it. It was a ruse to get One customers to bombard One with calls begging for continuity of the service so BBC could twist their arm .
So say OneComm/Digicel/Wow between them have 20,000 TV customers (just over 2/3 of the number of households on the Island which is 28,192 according to the last census) Here is what the BBC are estimated to earn from this new mandatory local content fee;
20,000 (customers) x $13.75 ($2.50 original + $11.25 new fee) = $275,000/month
$275k x 12 months = $3,300,000/year
Does it really cost $3,300,000 to run the BBC every year?
Well, that’s the end of cable for me and onto IPTV at a fraction of the cost. Will I miss Karl Outerbridge Harbour Rd #13, outdated footage of some Art Fair in St Joe, the ZBM logo still showing 2018? Not at all. Would I prefer Liz Cho on ABC 7 NY over Dianne Brewer on ZFB 7? Absolutely!
Corporate Thievery! I will not speak favorably about One Communications, they are shoddy with their service and give a bunch of crappy channels with only a few good ones. I seriously wish I could get an $11.25 pay increase in my Paycheck. It will NEVER happen as long as I live!
$11.25 UNBELIEVABLE ‼️ What do our wonderful Politicians have to say about this thievery?………..
That’s right………
It’s called a TV license, they have the same thing in the UK. It’s no need to even have cable anymore so there trying to recoup some losses from everyone canceling there cable service. All cable providers charge for local channels some costs are just hidden. Cell one service is provided by Verizon, so they are making money without doing anything at all really.
In the UK the television licence fee goes to support the BBC, which does not have advertisements.
The only cable channel with no advertisements is PBS, and that is because of voluntary donations from the public.
Zbm/zfb I won’t pay a cent more till they rid of there stupid, Repeats to
Many commercials local commercials are so old boring who wants to see Poinciana trees, logtails, kites flying, every time they go a station break. Also they kids playing on field what’s 2+2, I am having to much fun, another day a minine and ports. Time lapse videos of Bermuda already played for years. Need fresh. Also all there radio stations play the same music. Play some 70,80, 90s music, no one listens to fm89 94,8 or 98. Every time l turn the car radio on I here the same song, no variety. Bring back mix 106fm Rick Dees weekly top 40, world chart show, with lara Scott.