Washington, D.C. – The National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has designated June 1 - 5 as the cable industry's first-ever Signal Theft Awareness Week, a nationwide effort to draw attention to the impact of signal theft on local communities and consumers.
Utilizing a variety of communication vehicles and community outreach efforts, the campaign's goal is to raise consumer awareness about signal theft, with an emphasis on addressing “passive” theft by consumers.
“Over the years, many cable companies have addressed signal theft in targeted campaigns throughout their local systems,” said Nilda Gumbs, Director of NCTA's Office of Cable Signal Theft. “This nationwide awareness campaign, the first of its kind, encourages all cable systems to take action in a concentrated effort.”
NCTA research indicates that millions of U.S. homes may be receiving cable service without paying for it – the majority in the form of “passive” theft (through the unauthorized reception of a signal) – resulting in a total of more than $6 billion a year in unrealized revenue for cable systems and networks. That uncollected revenue further results in a gap in franchise fees for local communities, as communities lose an estimated five percent of each revenue dollar left uncollected – amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.
In addition, the volume of lost revenues, and the need of companies to monitor and address signal theft problems, adds additional cost to the business, putting extra pressure on consumer prices.
“Those who are stealing cable are really stealing from their neighbors. If those who steal cable paid for the services they receive, there would be less pressure on cable prices,” said Gumbs. “This campaign and on-going efforts represent an important opportunity for cable systems to work within their local communities to convert non-paying customers, by educating them that receiving service without paying for it is stealing, and its wrong.”
“Active” theft, typically the focus of past signal theft efforts, is the result of illegal physical connections to the cable plant, or attaching or tampering with equipment to allow the reception of unauthorized services. “Passive” theft occurs when a consumer passively accepts cable services that are inadvertently flowing into the home due to faulty technical or operational procedures. Consumers are generally aware of passive theft because they're receiving services for which they're not being billed.
A new Public Service Announcement (PSA) created for Signal Theft Awareness Week depicts a scenario with a family moving into a new home and discovering that the cable has accidentally been left connected. The spot communicates the message that passive theft is dishonest and concludes with the line: “Getting cable without paying: It's a matter of right or wrong.” The campaign also encourages cable operators to conduct regular system-wide audits to check for homes that may be receiving cable service without paying for it.
As part of the campaign, a turn-key toolkit and Web site have been developed to help cable operators effectively communicate about signal theft issues. The kit provides tools including the PSAs, scripts for radio spots, bill stuffers, door hangers, media materials, community outreach ideas, and more. Further information can be found at the campaign's Web site: www.ncta.com/staweek .
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