Selectmen last night approved a new 10-year cable provider's license with Comcast, ending a contentious negotiation between the two that began in early 2005.
The pact clears the way for the debut of Dedham Public Television, the town's new independent community programming network.
Selectman Marie-Louise Kehoe, who led the town's negotiating team, said terms of the deal were similar to a contract signed with telecommunications giant Verizon in November, but had required a lot more effort to reach.
"I have participated in enough negotiations over the years to learn that two parties can disagree without being disagreeable," Kehoe said. "Negotiations with Comcast have not been pleasant."
Kehoe said like Verizon, Comcast had agreed to pay the town 50 cents for each subscriber or no more than 5 percent of the gross annual revenue generated for the company in the town. Comcast has also agreed to pay the town $225,000 to support the Dedham Visionary Access Corp., which runs Dedham Public Television.
In Comcast's previous contract, the company was responsible for running local cable access programming. But after Verizon applied to become the town's third cable provider last year, Comcast announced it would rather transfer responsibility for programming to the town.
"Comcast expressed a desire to see a level playing field with the other companies and now we have one," Kehoe said. "I am happy to say that as a result of Comcast wanting to get out of the studio business, we will have improved service."
With a new deal struck, Dedham Public Television's new studio on Eastern Avenue will be connected to the cable system soon, Kehoe said. Equipment from Comcast's old studio on Enterprise Drive will also be transferred to the new Dedham Public Television facility.
Kehoe said negotiations with the town's third cable provider, RCN, could begin early next year.
In other action, selectmen did not approve a beer and wine license for High Street restaurant It's All Greek to Me.
In April, the board denied a previous application from the Dedham Square eatery on the grounds that three establishments already served alcohol nearby. It's All Greek to Me appealed the decision to the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, which disagreed with the board's decision and ordered the public hearing reopened.
But the board, which has sole authority to issue beer and wine licenses in Dedham, voted 4-1, with Selectman Dennis Teehan dissenting, to deny the application again.
"It has always been my position that a license is a privilege," Kehoe said. "I have yet to understand the public need of a license there."
The owner of It's All Greek to Me, Sevasti Sfougaristos, said she thought the board had only denied the restaurant's application because of its small size.
"It's not fair," Sfougaristos said. "It's discrimination because we only have 16 seats."
Daily News staff writer Patrick Anderson can be reached at 781-433-8336 or panderso@cnc.com.
