MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meridian Township must make a decision by Feb. 27 on Comcast’s request to transfer services from Comcast to Midwest Cable, which is expected to change to GreatLand Communications.

The Cable Communications Commission recommended the Meridian Township Board should approve the transfer upon conditions as it relates to the transfer agreement at last Tuesday’s board meeting.

Meridian Township's Communications Director Deborah Guthrie said, "There are a number of items that we don't have answers to."

Items such as what new rates are going to be and if they will have a service center are a few of the questions that Guthrie has.

Guthrie said, "We want to have assurances in place that do the least amount of harm to the residents."

Meridian Township has nine public, educational and government access channels, more commonly called PEG channels, that Comcast does not currently charge transport fees for.

Leslie Brogan, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Comcast's Michigan region, said, "What we do here in Meridian is voluntary. We do not have to carry your PEG channels for no fees."

But transport fees can be costly, which is why Guthrie said the Cable Communications Commission recommended to approve the transfer upon conditions.

She said, "It's difficult to approve a transfer that doesn't address anything in regards to peg provisions."

Daedalian Lowry, Station Manager of Lansing Community College Radio, said that since LCC is one of the nine PEG channels, his biggest concern with the transfer is the possibility of losing PEG channels.

"There are a number of students that have come through here who otherwise would not have gotten that opportunity to kind of develop and experience what it’s like to put on a live show," Lowry said.

The Township Board will vote at their next meeting on Feb. 17.

Since Meridian Township and Comcast have been able to settle on issues before, Township staff members are hopeful an agreement can be worked out that the board will approve.