Show of good faith a good idea after blackout

Customers lost four months of service amid contract dispute

After a four-month absence, Northwest Broadcasting’s channels are back on Spectrum Cable.

Local channels KYMA, KSWT and Estrella TV disappeared on Feb. 2 for Spectrum customers in the midst of a contract dispute with Charter Communications, Spectrum’s parent company.

On Thursday, the two sides came to an agreement, and the channels are now back in the cable lineup.

The experience was a frustrating one for Yuma customers, with both companies pointing fingers at each other and playing the blame game. Customers were caught in the middle, losing channels without warning.

While it’s great news that the channels are back on, customers were without their channels for months, which is troubling.

Some went out and purchased antennae to be able to pick up the local channels, a decision that cost them both time and money for channels they were technically paying for and not receiving through Spectrum.

The Yuma Sun editorial board has heard from customers who called Spectrum and complained, and then received a credit.

However, most people don’t have time to deal with that — nor should they have to make time.

Given the fact that this dispute lasted for months and impacted every Spectrum customer here, customers should be compensated in some way for the inconvenience, the lack of notice and the fact that they were paying for something they didn’t receive.

After all, the move to withhold channels was not made by customers. It was instead a power play between two entities, entirely outside of customers’ control.

One idea would be a credit for customers on their next bill.

Another idea would be to offer a premium channel for free for a limited period of time.

A move like that is a show of good faith that Spectrum and Northwest care about their customers, and that they sincerely regret the loss of service to Yuma.

What do you think, readers? Should Spectrum and Northwest attempt to make it up to Yuma customers or not? And if so, what would be appropriate? Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun. com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@ yumasun.com.