The CATV system shall be designed, installed, maintained, and tested in accordance with best CATV industry practice and as a minimum shall conform with the technical performance standards contained herein. In addition, should the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or other State or Federal authority having jurisdiction impose CATV system technical performance standards either outside the scope of the technical performance standards contained herein, or requiring a higher level of CATV system performance, those standards are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
If for any reason, the referenced FCC or other technical standards shall become reduced in the regional scope or service level, the more stringent standards herein shall remain in effect.
A. Performance of the CATV system as measured at any subscriber terminal with matched 75 ohm termination shall be as follows:
1. The frequency boundaries of cable television channels delivered to subscriber terminals shall conform to those set forth in FCC 73.603(a) or subsequent FCC standard.
2. If no frequency converter is supplied to the subscriber, the visual carrier frequency shall be maintained 1.25 mHz +/-25 kHz above the lower frequency boundary of the cable television channel. If a frequency converter is supplied to the subscriber by the cable television system, the following requirement shall be applied at the interface between the converter and the subscriber's terminal equipment: when the visual carrier at the output of the converter has been tuned to a frequency 1.25 mHz above the lower frequency boundary of a cable television channel with the converter stabilized at an ambient temperature between 20 degrees centigrade and 25 degrees centigrade the frequency of the visual carrier shall not vary more than +/-250 kHz for a period of at least three hours, during which period the ambient temperature may vary +/-5 degrees centigrade about the initial ambient temperature.
3. The aural center frequency of the aural carrier shall be 4.5 mHz +/-1 kHz above the frequency of the visual carrier.
4. The visual signal level across a 75 ohm terminating impedance as viewed from subscriber terminals shall not be less than 1500 microvolts (+3.5 dBmV) at the first subscriber's outlet in a structure.
5. The visual signal level on each channel shall be maintained within:
a. 3 decibels of the visual signal level of any visual carrier within 6 mHz nominal frequency separation, and
b. 12 decibels of the visual signal level on any other channel, and
c. A maximum level such that signal level degradation due to overload in the subscriber's receiver does not occur, and
d. 12 decibels over any twenty-four hour period.
6. The rms voltage of the aural signal shall be maintained between 13 and 17 decibels below the associated visual signal level.
7. The peak-to-peak variation in visual signal level caused by undesired low frequency disturbances (hum or repetitive transients) generated within the system, or by inadequate low frequency response, shall not exceed five percent of the visual signal level.
8. The amplitude characteristic shall be within a range of +/-2 decibels from 0.75 mHz to 5.0 mHz above the lower boundary frequency of the cable television channel, referenced to the average of the highest and lowest amplitudes within these frequency boundaries.
9. The ratio of visual signal level to system noise shall be not less than 42 decibels.
10. The ratio of visual signal level to any undesired cochannel television signal operating on proper offset assignments shall be not less than 36 decibels.
11. The ratio of visual signal level to the rms amplitude of any coherent disturbances such as intermodulation products or discrete-frequency interfering signals not operating on proper offset assignments shall not be less than 46 decibels.
12. The terminal isolation provided each subscriber shall be not less than 18 decibels, but in any event, shall be sufficient to prevent reflections caused by open circuited or short circuited subscriber terminals from producing visible picture impairments at any other subscriber terminal.
13. As an exception to the general provision requiring measurements to be made at subscriber terminals, and without regard to the class of cable television channel involved, radiation from a cable television shall be measured in accordance with procedures outlined in FCC regulations, and shall be limited as follows:
Frequencies | Radiation Limit (microvolts/meter) | Distance (feet) |
Up to and including 54 mHz
| 15 | 100 |
Over 54 up to and including 216 mHz
| 20 | 10 |
Over 216 mHz
| 15 | 100 |
14. The CATV system shall be rated for continuous twenty-four-hour per day operation.
15. The FM signal level across a 75 ohm terminating impedance as viewed from subscribers terminals shall be not less than 100 microvolts (-20 dBmV) nor greater than the highest permitted channel 6 aural signal level.
16. The FM signal level on each channel shall be maintained within:
a. 3 decibels of the FM signal level of any FM signal on an adjacent (200 kHz spacing) channel, and
b. 6 decibels of the FM signal level of any other FM signal carried on the system.
17. The CATV system shall, as a minimum, be operational in full compliance with the applicable specifications contained herein, over the radio frequency spectrum from 50 to 300 mHz inclusive. Further, the system shall be designed such that thirty-two-channel operation is possible from the outset utilizing the 50 to 300 mHz spectrum.
18. The CATV system shall, as a minimum, be capable of operating in full compliance with the applicable specifications herein, a return signal capacity in all portions of the system, over the frequency range of 5 to 30 mHz inclusive.
19. The grantee shall, at all times during the term of franchise, properly install and maintain adequate shielding, filtering and grounding at affected installations within the CATV system to eliminate system interference from local radio/television broadcast stations, commercial, government and aeronautical radio stations and/or from fundamental frequency overload by radio amateur or citizen's radio service transmissions which are in compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations.
B. Nonbroadcast signals carried on the CATV system shall meet the following baseband requirements. The RF modulated signals associated with these baseband signals shall meet all requirements of subsection A above.
1. Overall baseband system video frequency response shall be +2 decibels over a DC to 4.2 mHz bandwidth.
2. Baseband video tilt shall not exceed two percent as measured at the vertical or horizontal rate.
3. Overall baseband system video signal-to-noise ratio shall be not less than 42 decibels over a DC to 4.2 mHz bandwidth.
4. Video synchronizing wave form shall comply with the following applicable standard (latest edition or its equivalent):
a. 2:1 Interlace monochrome--EIA RS-330.
b. Fill Interlace monochrome--EIA RS-170.
c. Color--FCC 73.699 Figure 6.
5. Where applicable, minimum television camera (live and film) performance shall be:
a. Resolution (luminance)--350 line center (vertical); 500 line center, 400 line corners (horizontal).
b. Scan linearity--two percent maximum error (horizontal and vertical).
c. Registration (color only) two-tenths percent in centered circle of 0.8 picture height; four-tenths percent overall.
d. Video tilt two percent maximum (horizontal rate).
6. Overall audio system frequency response shall be +3 decibels over the frequency range 50 to 10,000 Hz.
7. Overall audio system signal-to-noise ratio shall be not less than 50 decibels over the frequency range 50 to 10,000 Hz.
8. Overall audio system harmonic distortion shall not exceed two percent at any frequency from 50 to 10,000 Hz.
C. Any local origination studio provided by the grantee shall meet the following minimum requirements:
1. 600 square feet (net) space minimum.
2. 12-foot ceiling height minimum.
3. 3200-degree K tungsten halogen professional TV production lighting system (200 foot candles minimum capability).
4. Acoustical noise level under normal studio operating conditions not to exceed NC 25.
5. Minimum complement of production equipment to include the following or approved equivalent:
Two studio cameras.
At least two color video tape recorders with insert/assemble editor and capstan servo.
At least one digital video time base corrector for use with the color video tape recorders during both editing and on-cable playback.
Video production switching capability with special effects.
Video picture and waveform monitoring equipment.
Audio mixing and monitoring capability.
D. On the last regular working day of each of the first three operating quarters of each year, the grantee shall submit to the City Manager system performance data taken within the previous seven days. Measurements for said data shall be taken at the same test points selected to satisfy subsection E below during the last annual system performance test that data has been submitted to the City. Quarterly test data shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Visual signal level for all channels carried.
2. Visual signal-to-noise measurements on one active lowband and one active highband VHF channel.
3. Visual hum modulation on one channel or pilot carrier. Quarterly tests shall be performed on a scheduled basis. A representative of the City shall be permitted to accompany the grantee during quarterly measurements activities. The grantee shall not be permitted to make any system adjustments during quarterly measurement activities without noting such adjustments on the test data form.
E. The grantee shall, during the last month of the fourth operating quarter of each year perform annual CATV system performance tests.
1. Such tests shall be in full compliance with FCC regulations.
2. Such tests shall be independently witnessed and the resultant data analyzed by a representative of the City if directed by the City Manager.
3. All necessary test instrumentation shall be supplied by the grantee. A current certificate of calibration by an independent calibration laboratory shall be supplied for each test instrument. All costs for instrumentation and calibration shall be borne by the grantee.
4. Measurement locations for system compliance with subsection A above, except those requirements regarding twenty-four-hour visual signal amplitude and channel amplitude characteristics, shall include:
a. End of each system major trunk, and
b. End of each system trunk branch four or more trunk amplifiers deep.
Actual test locations shall be selected to measure performance of the system in the franchise area and shall be (or as closely as possible simulate) actual subscriber locations.
5. Measurements regarding twenty-four-hour visual signal level and channel amplitude characteristic shall be made as required by the FCC.
6. Measurement for system compliance with subsection B above shall be made where practical on all origination equipment employed in the system.
7. Measurement techniques shall be either (a) those suggested by the FCC, or (b) those mutually developed by the grantee and the City and agreed to in writing prior to system testing. If agreement cannot be reached, the City shall prescribe reasonable and acceptable methods of measurement.
8. Concurrent with annual performance tests, the City representative may, but is not required to, inspect all system headend facilities, and outside plant for adherence to best industry installation, workmanship and safety practice.
F. The grantee shall maintain the system so it consistently operates within the substantial compliance of the technical standards herein; substantial compliance being defined as eighty percent of the channels received shall meet all applicable technical standards simultaneously at the time of measurement.
If the proof of performance tests shows that the cable television system is below the performance standards outlined above or in the grantee's proposal, or elsewhere in this chapter, the City shall give notice thereof to the grantee and the grantee shall have thirty days to correct the deficiency. If the grantee fails to correct the deficiency within this time, the City shall employ, at grantee's costs, independent engineers or consultants to demonstrate the appropriate correction to the grantee. Grantee shall then have sixty days or other approved reasonable time required, to correct deficiency. If deficiency still has not been corrected, the City shall have the option to terminate this franchise subject to the City's rights, requirements, and restrictions regarding the termination of this franchise stated elsewhere within.
G. The standards for rendering of any single service or CATV services as a whole, whether said service(s) are provided to an individual subscriber and/or to all subscribers of the system as a whole, shall be as follows:
1. The service shall operate in an efficient technical manner.
2. Downtime or unavailability of the service due to factors correctable by grantee shall not exceed two percent of the total hours of service is scheduled to be available in any week.
3. Errors in the operation of the service shall not exceed one percent of the total usages of the service by subscriber(s) in any week, not including errors caused by subscriber(s) or user or by agencies or individuals not under control of the grantee.
4. Visual and audio quality of television signals delivered by a service shall not be less than the quality of other television signals delivered to other subscribers as part of any service provided by grantee.
5. Repairs to or replacement of grantee's equipment involved in a service shall be made within twenty-four hours of subscriber's notification to grantee of equipment malfunction except where said repairs or replacements are barred by acts of God or other unforeseen circumstances beyond grantee's control. Any periods during which grantee is refused or is unable to obtain, access to subscriber premises shall be added to the twenty-four-hour limitation.
6. Grantee shall instruct subscriber carefully and in detail in the use of the service. Grantee shall be obligated to provide no more than four repetitions of such instruction.
7. Grantee shall furnish to subscriber a written description of the service which shall set forth its name, describe what it provides to the subscriber and what the subscriber must do to operate the service, and set forth a schedule of times when the service is available if it is not continuously available.
8. The service shall, in fact, operate in the manner and provide the materials or capacities described by the grantee in all writings and/or verbal or other presentations in reference to the service.
9. There shall be no appreciable visual degradation of video or audio on any channel, as compared with any other channel or with the video or audio of a standard television or radio receiver with good quality standard dipole antenna placed within five miles line of sight, without obstructions, of the VHF broadcast antennas carried on the Mt. Wilson transmitting tower in Los Angeles.
10. Grantee shall make a demonstration, at any of the six longest distributions paths in the system, or at the site at which performance standards are alleged not to be met, that the performance standards in subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection are being met.
11. Such demonstrations shall be made by grantee upon demand of the grantor at grantee's expense.
12. Notice of planned or anticipated interruptions of service shall be preceded by announcements of the period and location of the interruption, as well as its duration, on a two hourly frequency of the system's automated program log channels for at least forty-eight hours prior to the interruption, if the duration of the interruption is to be less than six hours.
For planned or anticipated interruptions of six to twenty-four hours the announcements shall be provided on the same two hourly frequency for at least seventy-two hours prior to the interruption.
For planned or anticipated interruptions of more than twenty-four hours grantee shall provide written notice of the interruption and its length by mail to all affected subscribers or users at least five days prior to the interruption.
Written notices shall inform subscribers that because of the length of the interruption they are eligible to receive, if they so notify grantee, billing credit for any period exceeding twenty-four hours in a one-month period during which service will not be delivered. (Ord. 2610 §§ 3, 4, 1987: Ord. 2476 Exhibit B § 4, 1983; Ord. 2326 § 1 (part), 1980).