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Insight MARCH 13,1996 Cable, from page 1 Every single day. thousands of Valley residents view cable channels illegally by purchasing altered cable boxes or making their own decoders. The piracy of cable television not only raises thc rates of the paying customers but also threatens the quality of their reception. Hargrove estimated that there arc 15.000 people receiving illegal cable through unauthorized devices in Fresno. < "We've come up with that number through surveys and audits that we have done, as well as ones private groups have done." said Hargrove. Susan Ritchie, a spokesperson for Continental Cable, said approximately 13.000 people have hooked themselves up to cable feeds from the Street The 28.000 illegal cable receivers present a problem to the cable operators and programmers. Programmers have begun to threaten the cable companies, because ihe number of illegal cable operators has grown steadily through the past 10 years, while ihe number of legal subscribers has not risen. Some programmers have threatened that if cable companies do nol make serious efforts to either stop, or at least slow down, cable piracy, ihey will revert to closed-circuit telecasts. Hargrove said.- "That would mean lhal instead of private citizens being able to enjoy the convenience of viewing cable television in the privacy of their own homes, they would be forced to go to designated businesses that would subscribe to the closed-caption services." Hargrove said. For the sake of programmers and themselves, cable companies arc- cracking down on cable piracy. "We will deploy every mechanism available to us." Ritchie said. "It is a statewide program and Fresno is a very aggressive, non-stop area of investigation." Cable companies and law enforcement officers would nol discuss how Continental catches illegal users, but the measures taken have led to busts. Ritchie said. •The television ads have led to a lol of tips. They have been very effective." Ritchie said. These ads inform the public that receiving cable through aliered boxes, or other means, is illegal and punishable by law. "A lot of the people that receive cable illegally probably don't know that it is illegal." said Hargrove. "I think that has decreased in the past year or so due to thc publicity that illegal cable has been given." Some citizens thai have illegal cable know il is illegal bul ihink that the chances of being caught are remote. "I've known people that have had / f \ Live Musk Wednesday thru Saturday DJ. Mondays and Tuesdays Free Country Dance Lesson Sunday and Wednesday Jim's Place • 430 Oovis Avenue • 299-2597 illegal cable boxes for years and have never had a problem." said an anony- Others insist lhat if the cable company is going to catch them, it would have done so by now. A recent article in thc Fresno Bee cited businesses in lhc area lhal were receiving pay-per-view services illegally and charging customers to view those events. "Some establishments would simply start a subscription to their homes and then take the cable box to work and hwk the TV's up illegally." said Hargrove. So far. 41 priv ate citizens have been charged with cable piracy in Fresno. In addition, 18 private businesses have- also been charged. If convicted, each individual faces up to SI70.000 in fines for each violation. For ihe companies that have been descrambling pay'-per-v iew events for years, this could mean lines of more than SI million. Hargrove said that Continental will only prosecute in cases which it feels it has an open and shut case. "In those circumstances, the defendants usually realize that they have been caught and settle out ol" court." said Hargrove. Cable piracy is a federal and slate offense. Continental has only prosecuted under Ihe federal law because, as Hargrove said, it is more likely to INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYMENT Make up to $25-545 per hour teaching basic conversational English abroad. Japan. Taiwan, and S. Korea. Many- employers provide room & board + other benefits. No teaching Asian languages red For CRUISE JOBS WHY DO STUDENTS CHOOSE US FOR THEIR EYECARE NEEDS? • Great Selection and Great Service! • Immediate Replacement of Contact Lenses • Computerized Eye Exams • In House Lab - Same Day service (Why Wait?) OPTOMETRIC OF FRESNO | Earn up to S2.00O+/month working or Cruise Ships or Land-Tour companies World travel (Hawaii. Mexico, thc Caribbean, etc.) Seasonal and Full- Time employment available. No experience necessary. For more information call: Cruise Employment Services (206) 971-3550 ext. C62061 CONTACT LENSES Includt. Visual Rum. Follow Up Crr Kii. Training $165 OR (DW/SPH/CLEAR) EYEGLASSES Includes Visual Fjum. Single Vision Uiue., (Bifocal $20 Extra) *-" U','",u"s '""m,','"," ' $48 Frame Up To $168 Value THOMAS R. CASAGRANDE, O.D. 221-8900 IN PAYLESS SHOPPING CENTER. 5110 N BLACKSTONE AVE 98 S FINANCIAL AID S Attention All Students! FREE Money is currently available for College Students Nationwide. Over $6 Billion in aid is now available from private sector grants & scholarships. All students are eligible to receive some son of aid regardless of grades, income or parent's income. Let us help you. Student Financial Services 1-800-263-6495 ext. F62062 f PLAZA APARTMENTS i CEDAR &3ARST0W = AFFORDABLE LIVING! ACROSS FROM FRESNO STATE! MOVE-IN SPECIALS AVAILABLE! Call Us At (209) 431-8122 /yew Pizza 8 " d T i z z a Pasta Me aven $3.00 OFF ANY LARGE J OR FAMILY SIZE PIZZA I (or $1.00 off any dinner) I Redeemable at New England Pizza and Pasta Good on Dine in, Take-Out, or Delivery. One Coupon Per Order. end in a settlement. Since cases are civil, no jail time is issued to convicted parties. Most people Continental catches with illegal cable are not prosecuted. "Usually, if the person is cooperative in telling us where ihey got the box. who they got it from, how much they paid lor it and when they got it. we won't prosecute them. Wc will. however, charge them a fee for sending thc box back to the manufacturer to take out the chip lhat was illegally inserted." said Hargrove, Returning the box costs up to $90. Hargrove said distributors have not been as successful selling their products because the public is not as naive as it once was. Thc cost of illegal cable to the cable companies is immense. Ritchie estimated lhat cable companies lose $6.1 million annually, adding up lo a $300,000 loss to local municipalities. The cable companies don't go down alone; Ihe cost of illegal cable is passed on to the consumer. "The consumer is affected in two ways. First, they are being charged more on their monthly bill. Second.' sloppy pirating jobs lead to serious signal degradation." Ritchie said. "The maintenance needed to secure a clear signal is paid for by the customers." Hargrove added that there are more- ways in which customers have their rates raised. "We have a 12-person department that works on nothing bul theft of service." he said. Thc entire cost of those salaries comes from ihe paying customers. Cable companies will continue lo do all they can lo prevent cable theft, whether it will be enough has vet lo be seen. The woman who called about Ihe wrestling telecast was not prosecuted. The people who altered her box were. Berg, from page 5 Berg will be experiencing a dream come true but not without sacrifice. "I've had to put a lot on hold.** Berg said. "I'm not taking as many classes this year. I am a little disappointed that I couldn't play with them this year, I wanted to be one of the first to play in thc new stadium." Fresno State's new softball stadium was finished Feb. 24, for the team's season opener against No. I UCLA. Berg's secret to success is working onsoftball mechanics four to five hours of per day. Berg also gives credit to great coaching. Berg may be taking a year off from the team but feels she will be better than ever when she returns. "I will feel a lot more confident and more mature." Berg said. Coach Wright said that she feels Berg will have a positive impact on other members of Fresno State's soft- ball team. WE OFFER.. CENTERS Qualified Instruction Provided free of charge for all members and guests Facilities Include: over 50 aerobic classes per week • LifeCycles • LifeSteps • StairMasters • ClimbMax • StarTrac Treadmills • Lifestride Treadmills • VersaClimbers • Life Rowers • Huge free weight room • Cybex • LifeCircuit • Nautilus • Flex • BodyMasters • Kelser • Sprint *The only indoor running track in Fresno Ray Wilson Family Fitness Centers 284 W. Shaw Ave. 209-323-5000 GET YOUR PLACE IN THE SUN basketball courts tennis court large pool & spa tanning bed courtesy patrol SUNRIDGE TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS Spacious 2 & 3 Bedroom Townhouses with floorptans from 1,125 sq. ft. Starting at $495 Waiting List already starting for Summer/Fall (limited space) 4885 N. CHESTNUT, FRESNO, CA 93726 ph: 209/294.8012 fax: 209/294.0612 Near FSU, just 1/2 block south of Shaw Kennel Bookstore Supply Counter • 278-4268 We make having a cellular phone as easy as... 7 FREE Phones 2 FREE Activation Through March 31 3 Accessory Discounts ^JW WWtau&srv*** Save $30 with your FREE Red Vfaive activation! Save on: • Batteries •Carrying Cases •Travel Kits •Cigarette Lighter Adaptors
Object Description
Title | 1996_03 Insight March 1966 |
Alternative Title | Insight (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Dept. of Journalism, California State University, Fresno. |
Publication Date | 1996 |
Description | Weekly during the school year. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 8 1969-v. 29, no. 23 (May 13, 1998, issue. Title from masthead. Merged with Daily collegian. |
Subject | California State University, Fresno -- Periodials |
Contributors | California State University, Fresno Dept. of Journalism |
Coverage | October 8, 1969 - May 13, 1998 |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35mm |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi, TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 "E-image data" |
Language | eng |
Description
Title | 012_Insight Mar 13 1996 p 6 |
Alternative Title | Insight (California State University, Fresno) |
Publication Date | 1996 |
Full-Text-Search | Insight MARCH 13,1996 Cable, from page 1 Every single day. thousands of Valley residents view cable channels illegally by purchasing altered cable boxes or making their own decoders. The piracy of cable television not only raises thc rates of the paying customers but also threatens the quality of their reception. Hargrove estimated that there arc 15.000 people receiving illegal cable through unauthorized devices in Fresno. < "We've come up with that number through surveys and audits that we have done, as well as ones private groups have done." said Hargrove. Susan Ritchie, a spokesperson for Continental Cable, said approximately 13.000 people have hooked themselves up to cable feeds from the Street The 28.000 illegal cable receivers present a problem to the cable operators and programmers. Programmers have begun to threaten the cable companies, because ihe number of illegal cable operators has grown steadily through the past 10 years, while ihe number of legal subscribers has not risen. Some programmers have threatened that if cable companies do nol make serious efforts to either stop, or at least slow down, cable piracy, ihey will revert to closed-circuit telecasts. Hargrove said.- "That would mean lhal instead of private citizens being able to enjoy the convenience of viewing cable television in the privacy of their own homes, they would be forced to go to designated businesses that would subscribe to the closed-caption services." Hargrove said. For the sake of programmers and themselves, cable companies arc- cracking down on cable piracy. "We will deploy every mechanism available to us." Ritchie said. "It is a statewide program and Fresno is a very aggressive, non-stop area of investigation." Cable companies and law enforcement officers would nol discuss how Continental catches illegal users, but the measures taken have led to busts. Ritchie said. •The television ads have led to a lol of tips. They have been very effective." Ritchie said. These ads inform the public that receiving cable through aliered boxes, or other means, is illegal and punishable by law. "A lot of the people that receive cable illegally probably don't know that it is illegal." said Hargrove. "I think that has decreased in the past year or so due to thc publicity that illegal cable has been given." Some citizens thai have illegal cable know il is illegal bul ihink that the chances of being caught are remote. "I've known people that have had / f \ Live Musk Wednesday thru Saturday DJ. Mondays and Tuesdays Free Country Dance Lesson Sunday and Wednesday Jim's Place • 430 Oovis Avenue • 299-2597 illegal cable boxes for years and have never had a problem." said an anony- Others insist lhat if the cable company is going to catch them, it would have done so by now. A recent article in thc Fresno Bee cited businesses in lhc area lhal were receiving pay-per-view services illegally and charging customers to view those events. "Some establishments would simply start a subscription to their homes and then take the cable box to work and hwk the TV's up illegally." said Hargrove. So far. 41 priv ate citizens have been charged with cable piracy in Fresno. In addition, 18 private businesses have- also been charged. If convicted, each individual faces up to SI70.000 in fines for each violation. For ihe companies that have been descrambling pay'-per-v iew events for years, this could mean lines of more than SI million. Hargrove said that Continental will only prosecute in cases which it feels it has an open and shut case. "In those circumstances, the defendants usually realize that they have been caught and settle out ol" court." said Hargrove. Cable piracy is a federal and slate offense. Continental has only prosecuted under Ihe federal law because, as Hargrove said, it is more likely to INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYMENT Make up to $25-545 per hour teaching basic conversational English abroad. Japan. Taiwan, and S. Korea. Many- employers provide room & board + other benefits. No teaching Asian languages red For CRUISE JOBS WHY DO STUDENTS CHOOSE US FOR THEIR EYECARE NEEDS? • Great Selection and Great Service! • Immediate Replacement of Contact Lenses • Computerized Eye Exams • In House Lab - Same Day service (Why Wait?) OPTOMETRIC OF FRESNO | Earn up to S2.00O+/month working or Cruise Ships or Land-Tour companies World travel (Hawaii. Mexico, thc Caribbean, etc.) Seasonal and Full- Time employment available. No experience necessary. For more information call: Cruise Employment Services (206) 971-3550 ext. C62061 CONTACT LENSES Includt. Visual Rum. Follow Up Crr Kii. Training $165 OR (DW/SPH/CLEAR) EYEGLASSES Includes Visual Fjum. Single Vision Uiue., (Bifocal $20 Extra) *-" U','",u"s '""m,','"," ' $48 Frame Up To $168 Value THOMAS R. CASAGRANDE, O.D. 221-8900 IN PAYLESS SHOPPING CENTER. 5110 N BLACKSTONE AVE 98 S FINANCIAL AID S Attention All Students! FREE Money is currently available for College Students Nationwide. Over $6 Billion in aid is now available from private sector grants & scholarships. All students are eligible to receive some son of aid regardless of grades, income or parent's income. Let us help you. Student Financial Services 1-800-263-6495 ext. F62062 f PLAZA APARTMENTS i CEDAR &3ARST0W = AFFORDABLE LIVING! ACROSS FROM FRESNO STATE! MOVE-IN SPECIALS AVAILABLE! Call Us At (209) 431-8122 /yew Pizza 8 " d T i z z a Pasta Me aven $3.00 OFF ANY LARGE J OR FAMILY SIZE PIZZA I (or $1.00 off any dinner) I Redeemable at New England Pizza and Pasta Good on Dine in, Take-Out, or Delivery. One Coupon Per Order. end in a settlement. Since cases are civil, no jail time is issued to convicted parties. Most people Continental catches with illegal cable are not prosecuted. "Usually, if the person is cooperative in telling us where ihey got the box. who they got it from, how much they paid lor it and when they got it. we won't prosecute them. Wc will. however, charge them a fee for sending thc box back to the manufacturer to take out the chip lhat was illegally inserted." said Hargrove, Returning the box costs up to $90. Hargrove said distributors have not been as successful selling their products because the public is not as naive as it once was. Thc cost of illegal cable to the cable companies is immense. Ritchie estimated lhat cable companies lose $6.1 million annually, adding up lo a $300,000 loss to local municipalities. The cable companies don't go down alone; Ihe cost of illegal cable is passed on to the consumer. "The consumer is affected in two ways. First, they are being charged more on their monthly bill. Second.' sloppy pirating jobs lead to serious signal degradation." Ritchie said. "The maintenance needed to secure a clear signal is paid for by the customers." Hargrove added that there are more- ways in which customers have their rates raised. "We have a 12-person department that works on nothing bul theft of service." he said. Thc entire cost of those salaries comes from ihe paying customers. Cable companies will continue lo do all they can lo prevent cable theft, whether it will be enough has vet lo be seen. The woman who called about Ihe wrestling telecast was not prosecuted. The people who altered her box were. Berg, from page 5 Berg will be experiencing a dream come true but not without sacrifice. "I've had to put a lot on hold.** Berg said. "I'm not taking as many classes this year. I am a little disappointed that I couldn't play with them this year, I wanted to be one of the first to play in thc new stadium." Fresno State's new softball stadium was finished Feb. 24, for the team's season opener against No. I UCLA. Berg's secret to success is working onsoftball mechanics four to five hours of per day. Berg also gives credit to great coaching. Berg may be taking a year off from the team but feels she will be better than ever when she returns. "I will feel a lot more confident and more mature." Berg said. Coach Wright said that she feels Berg will have a positive impact on other members of Fresno State's soft- ball team. WE OFFER.. CENTERS Qualified Instruction Provided free of charge for all members and guests Facilities Include: over 50 aerobic classes per week • LifeCycles • LifeSteps • StairMasters • ClimbMax • StarTrac Treadmills • Lifestride Treadmills • VersaClimbers • Life Rowers • Huge free weight room • Cybex • LifeCircuit • Nautilus • Flex • BodyMasters • Kelser • Sprint *The only indoor running track in Fresno Ray Wilson Family Fitness Centers 284 W. Shaw Ave. 209-323-5000 GET YOUR PLACE IN THE SUN basketball courts tennis court large pool & spa tanning bed courtesy patrol SUNRIDGE TOWNHOUSE APARTMENTS Spacious 2 & 3 Bedroom Townhouses with floorptans from 1,125 sq. ft. Starting at $495 Waiting List already starting for Summer/Fall (limited space) 4885 N. CHESTNUT, FRESNO, CA 93726 ph: 209/294.8012 fax: 209/294.0612 Near FSU, just 1/2 block south of Shaw Kennel Bookstore Supply Counter • 278-4268 We make having a cellular phone as easy as... 7 FREE Phones 2 FREE Activation Through March 31 3 Accessory Discounts ^JW WWtau&srv*** Save $30 with your FREE Red Vfaive activation! Save on: • Batteries •Carrying Cases •Travel Kits •Cigarette Lighter Adaptors |