Comcast said this week that it will spend nearly $33 million to extend its network in two communities in Oregon and Utah, a move that is expected to bring about 23,000 additional homes and businesses under the Xfinity service umbrella.

In Utah, Comcast said it will expand service to more than 18,000 homes and businesses in Eagle Mountain City over the next four years. The cost of the project will be about $22 million and will not use any public funds.  

“Giving our residents another choice for cable and internet services improves the quality of life for our residents,” Eagle Mountain City mayor Tom Westmoreland said in a press release. “We look forward to welcoming Comcast into our community.”

Service  is expected to become available to parts of the community beginning in early 2023 and will include cable, mobile and broadband services. Broadband speeds will range from its $9.95 per month Internet Essentials offering to its ultra-high speed 1 Gigabit per second service.  

Businesses in the area also will be able to take advantage of Comcast Ethernet, internet, advanced voice and video services, WiFi and managed enterprise solutions as a result of the expansion. 

"We are committed to supporting Utah’s growth plans by building infrastructure and bringing high-speed broadband to meet the state’s next-generation capacity needs,” Comcast Mountain West region VP, Network Engineering Bryan Thomas said in a press release. “Our fiber expansion in Eagle Mountain is the latest example of the significant investments we've already made in the state. Since 2019, we’ve invested $881 million in technology and infrastructure capital expenditures, taxes and fees, employee wages and benefits, and charitable giving.”

In Oregon, Comcast said it plans to expand its network to about 5,000 homes and businesses in Silverton. The $10.6 million project will allow residents to access Xfinity residential and commercial services.

Comcast said over the past three years it has invested more than $500 million in Oregon to improve the network, support the community, and ensure residents, students and businesses remain connected to the internet during the pandemic. The Silverton expansion is part of a broader plan to bring Comcast’s network to more Oregonians.

“Comcast operates with the fundamental belief that connecting people to the power of broadband technology can be life changing,” regional senior VP of Comcast Oregon/SW Washington David Tashjian said in a press release. “That’s why we are committed to bridging the digital divide for Oregon/SW Washington residents – not only with our network expansions and investments, but also with our lnternet Essentials program, which brings fast, affordable internet to those who need it most.”

He added the moves are strategic and that the company is “exploring expansions into additional communities adjacent to our footprint.”

Construction is slated to begin in the early spring with building the fiber backbone. Some customers will be able to connect to services in late 2022, with completion of the network throughout Silverton in 2023.

“I know there’s a lot of interest in Comcast,” Silverton Mayor Kyle Palmer said in a press release. “As a mayor, I want to have more choices, and I want residents to have better choices, and I want to have fewer people bugging me all the time saying they’re upset at their service.”

Last year Comcast said it would commit $1 billion over ten years in continued support of digital equity, including its Lift Zones initiative, which has established WiFi-connected spaces in 25 community centers around Oregon/SW Washington for students and adults.

Comcast Oregon/SW Washington has more than 1,000 employees who serve more than one million residential and business customers throughout the state.  ■ 

CenturyLink has settled another state lawsuit charging it with deceptive advertising. 

According to court documents on the state attorney general's Web site, the company has agreed to pay $4 million to settle charges it engaged in deceptive advertising via deceptive billing practices, undisclosed fees and failing to apply promised discounts. 

That follows a $6.1 million settlement last month with Washington state over similar allegations. 

In both, CenturyLink is enjoined from a host of practices it does not concede were deceptive and must adhere to a compliance regime. 

“Purchasing internet, phone service and cable is confusing enough without false promises, and confusing prices and fees. Today’s settlement sends a clear message that hidden fees and other forms of unfair and deceptive business practices will not be tolerated in Oregon,” said Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. 

In neither settlement does CenturyLink acknowledge any deception, saying it "expressly denies any liability or wrongdoing and is entering into [the agreement] as a settlement of disputed claims and to avoid further inconvenience and costs of potential litigation." 

Some Oregon content creators have a big bone to pick with one of their senators, Democrat Ron Wyden. That is because he has put a hold on a bill that they argue would make it easier for them to protect their copyrighted material, a big issue in a world of easy archiving and sharing of copyrighted images and video.

For his part, the Senator argues that the bill as currently drafted creates "an extrajudicial, virtually unappealable tribunal that could impose damages of up to $30,000 on someone who posts a couple of memes on social media" and says he is working on a way to protect both creators and due process.

A hold is when a senator indicates he does not want a particular bill to get a vote on the floor.  The majority leader does not have to comply, though usually does, since a hold puts him or her on notice the senator could filibuster an attempted vote.

The Oregon Professional Photographers Association (OPPA) plans to put up the billboard ad below in downtown Portland by Jan. 15 to call out the senator for holding up consideration of the bill.

The House last October overwhelmingly passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement [CASE] Act of 2019 (410 to 6), which would create a small claims court for copyright infringement cases.

The CASE Act, which was introduced in the House last May by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), would establish the Copyright Claims Board in the U.S. Copyright Office. The legislation is billed as giving independent creators an easier and cheaper (than federal district court litigation) way to defend their intellectual property. 

Related: Wyden Says Days of Considering Edge Platforms Neutral Are Over

The bill's architect had been confident of passage. A staffer in Jeffries' office told Multichannel News at the time of its passage that they expected it to pass the Senate and be signed by the President. They said that while the Google-backed Electronic Frontier Foundation and other computer companies oppose the legislation, they have bipartisan momentum on their side on the Hill and likely the support of Jared Kushner, senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, for the presidential sign-off. 

But Wyden sees the bill quite differently, according to a statement from his office summarizing the senator's concerns.

"Senator Wyden’s office has had a number of conversations with CASE Act supporters on how to protect creators without the unintended side-effects to free expression and due process that are present in this bill," read the e-mailed statement. "Senator Wyden believes that the CASE Act, as currently drafted, does not strike the right balance between protecting artists and creators and fostering innovation, freedom of expression and education. He has heard concerns from The ACLU, the Association of Research Libraries, and others.

The legislation would create an extrajudicial, virtually unappealable tribunal that could impose damages of up to $30,000 on someone who posts a couple of memes on social media — even if they caused no economic harm to the creator. A judgment of $30,000 is enough to bankrupt many American families and it is a far greater amount than Americans can recover in most state small-claims courts. With virtually no judicial review, even the threat of such a judgment could stifle the legitimate fair use of content and lead to abuse of the system by bad actors who harass and threaten innocent internet users to win settlements."

Wyden argues the CASE Act could chill free expression. "He is actively working to find a solution that will protect Americans’ due process rights and First Amendment values while ensuring that authors, photographers, graphic designers and other creators can protect their works and earn a living," his office said.

Among the groups supporting the bill are the News Media Alliance, SAG-AFTRA, Authors Guild, RIAA, and the Copyright Alliance. Opponents, in addition to the ACLU and EFF, include fair use standard-bearer Public Knowledge, the Consumer Technology Association, whose members make the technology that allows for the distribution of intellectual property, fair use and foul, and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, whose edge provider members are often the targets of copyright infringement claims.  

ESPN wrapped up the inaugural College Football Playoff with the ultimate Nielsen paydirt, establishing a third record cable audience in as many telecasts with its coverage of Ohio State's decisive win over Oregon on Monday night.

The Jan. 13 telecast of the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship — the Buckeyes' 42-20 victory over the Ducks at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – averaged an 18.2 U.S. household rating and 33. 4 million viewers,according to Nielsen, delivering both the largest audience and highest rating in cable television history.

The worldwide leader's championship game presentation surpassed the Jan. 1 marks it set with the CFP semifinals -- OSU's win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl drew 28.3 million, eclipsing the 28.2 million who saw the opener of the doubleheader, Oregon's 59-20 demolition of defending champion Florida State in the Rose Bowl. The semifinals pushed the 2011 BCS title tilt --Auburn clipped Oregon -- and its 27.3 million average from the cable record book.

Standing together as the three-most-watched telecasts in cable history,  the CFB Playoff Semifinals and National Championship combined to average 29.8 million viewers and a 16.0 household rating.

The College Football Playoff National Championship generated a 31% increase in viewership and a 26% rating gain over the 25.6 million and 14.4 ratings for 2014 BCS National Championship in which FSU beat Auburn in the last minute.

OSU-Oregon also came within shouting distance of the 35.6 million who saw Texas topple USC in the 2006 BCS title game, which remains the top college football telecast in history.

The simulcast of ESPN’s main telecast of the College Football Playoff National Championship on WatchESPN attracted 1.16 million unique viewers, 82 million minutes viewed and average minute audience of 366,000. The usage represents an increase of 110% (553,000 unique viewers), 144% (33,600,000 minutes viewed), and 128% (160,000 average audience), respectively, over the 2014 BCS National Championship.

With those deliveries, the CFP National Championship now ranks as the best college football game ever on WatchESPN based on unique viewers, minutes viewed, and an average minute audience surpassing this year’s Sugar Bowl (912,000 unique viewers, 58.7 million minutes viewed, and an average minute audience of 256,000). It also ranks as the best non-World Cup event ever on WatchESPN.

Beyond the traditional telecast, ESPN offered more than 12 ways to watch last night’s championship game through the "CFP Megacast."  Collectively, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes and ESPNEWS, along with ESPN, combined to average 34,148,000 viewers and an 18.6 US household rating. This year’s “Megacast” increased viewership and ratings by 30%and 26% respectively, over the 2014 BCS National Championship Megacast – the first multi-network telecast of this kind, which attracted 26.2 milion viewers and a 14.8 rating.  Television ratings for ESPN Classic, and ESPN Goal Line, which were part of the CFP Megacast, are not available.

The “CFP Megacast” on WatchESPN, which included five unique variations on ESPN3 in addition to the networks’ simulcasts – combined to attract 1.41 million unique viewers, 106,300,000 minutes viewed and average minute audience of 475,000. The usage represents an increase of 82% (773,000 unique viewers), 101%(52,900,000 minutes viewed) and 88%(252,000 average audience over the 2014 BCS National Championship Megacast.

“The inaugural College Football Playoff was a resounding success by all measures,” said John Skipper, ESPN President.  “Fans responded in record numbers across television and digital platforms. It’s been a great first year and we look forward to the opportunity to build upon the excitement as we continue our long-term commitment to this tremendous event.”

The inaugural College Football Playoff Championship has engendered hopes for glory and programming opportunities for the networks with teams in the game on Monday night.

Pac-12 Networks, whose national service and one of its sub-regional, covers the Oregon Ducks, and Big Ten Network, which presents game and related fare around the Ohio State Buckeyes, are gearing up for the Jan. 12 battle at AT&T Stadium.

Pac-12 Networks, which aired a new installment of Pac-12 Football Weekly on Jan. 6, in which Rick Neuheisel and Yogi Roth break down the matchup and reports from Eugene throughout the week, has established a dedicated microsite within Pac-12.com, with coverage from Saturday’s media in Dallas, plus additional videos and written content.

The programmer will kick off a preview special on Sunday at 7 p.m. (PT). The 60-minute Win the Day: National Championship Preview features host Mike Yam and analysts Curtis Conway and Neuheisel offering a look at the Ducks’ road to Dallas and what it will take for Oregon to bring home its first national title in football. Additionally, Ashley Adamson will be on the scene in Big D, giving viewers an up close look at the atmosphere.

On Monday, Adamson, former Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti and Jill Savage are live from the field in Dallas with Yam, Neuheisel and Conway in San Francisco for the College Football Playoff Championship Pregame Show, Presented by GameFly, beginning at 4 p.m..(PT). The 60-minute pregame show will include a live interview with Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, plus other notable guests on site in Dallas. Additionally, Aliotti, Neuheisel and Conway will give viewers the final word before kick on who will win and why.   

Immediately following the game, the group returns for a 90-minute College Football Playoff Championship Postgame Report, Presented by GameFly featuring highlights, live interviews from the field, postgame press conference sound and analysis of the game.

All shows and specials will air live across all seven linear networks and online at Pac-12.com and on the Pac-12 Now app.

For its part, Big Ten Network is also going big with title tilt coverage. On Saturday, Jan. 10 at 4:30 p.m.(ET), BTN Finale sets up shop at the Dallas Convention Center with Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith and Glen Mason. The show will also air at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.

BTN has secured the rights to the 2015 Allstate Sugar Bowl, and will give its subscribers to relive Ohio State’s upset over top-ranked Alabama on Jan. 1. ESPN's telecast of the exciting contest garnered the largest audience in cable history.

 At 5 p.m. on Sunday, the service will serve up the Football Championship Preview Show, with the crew dissecting the matchup and keys. The show will originate from AT&T Stadium, with the BTN set located on the plaza outside of Gate H.

Monday is all about THE Ohio State. BTN’s “Buckeye Block” encompasses replays of key matchups past: the 2010 Rose Bowl against Oregon at 8 a.m.. and condensed versions of Football in 60 will feature the squad in games from the 2014 season versus Penn State at 10 a.m, followed on the hour by Michigan State, Minnesota and Michigan.

BTN will then devote two hours to OSU’s demolition of Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game at 2 p.m. and another 2015 Sugar Bowl reprise at 4 p.m.

BTN Live, with segments from Dallas, rolls at 6 p.m., leading into the Football Championship Pregame Show, which will also include a pair of one-on-one interviews from earlier in the week in with Sugar Bowl MVP Ezekiel Elliot, and offensive coordinator Ed Warinner.

Guests on the show will include Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, and former Buckeye standouts Eddie George, Troy Smith, Beanie Wells, Troy Smith, Mike Doss and Bobby Carpenter, among others.

The BTN game plan calls for Football Championship Halftime Show and Football Championship Postgame Show at the appropriate times.