by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
When Ellen Filipiak agreed to become AT&T Broadband’s senior vice president-Florida market in January she knew problems in Jacksonville were brewing. But she had no idea the issue would escalate to where it is today: the City has started revocation proceedings of AT&T’s cable franchise agreement and the cable provider is involved in a class-action law suit.
“To find ourselves at this point in October was not in my crystal ball,” said Filipiak, who was in town Wednesday to announce the details of AT&T’s latest settlement proposal with the City.
She added the revocation proceedings caught her, and the company, slightly off-guard.
“When I came on, I knew the state of the business,” explained Filipiak. “It was clearly revealed to me when I talked to then-Council president Matt Carlucci, Mayor John Delaney and other City officials and [AT&T] employees that there were tensions between the City of Jacksonville and the company as a result of the customer service complaints in 2001. I think there were hints, so the statement made out loud was not surprising, but it was disappointing.”
In June 2001, AT&T began the complicated process of revamping its billing statements for its Jacksonville customers. Computer glitches and human error led to problems. The cable company’s ability to address customer service issues came under heavy scrutiny when hundreds of locals began flooding the City’s Regulatory/Environmental Services Division — they are responsible for AT&T’s franchise agreement — on an almost daily basis for several weeks. The City began questioning several facets of AT&T’s business practices. Those initial inquiries led to a full-blown investigation, which included Attorney General Bob Butterworth’s office.
Today, the issue is a virtual stalemate. Both sides claim to have made concessions and both sides are adamant about their position and the dispute may drag on well past the near future.
“If revocation proceedings continue, there will be a protractive court fight,” said Filipiak, defining protractive as several years.
Right in the middle is Filipiak, who wasn’t involved when the problems started but will, more than likely, still be around when they are resolved. The problem for Filipiak these days is, well, the problem. In fact, it takes a vast majority of her work week.
“It’s a big portion,” she said. “I spend about 75 percent of my time on it. The other 25 percent I spend on other business and making improvements.”
From a professional standpoint, Filipiak would like nothing more than to reach an agreement with the City. Not only would it help put the issue in the past, it would also expedite AT&T’s planned merger with Comcast. Reaching an accord would also allow Filipiak to do what she hired to do: supervise the operations of AT&T’s one million local telephone, high-speed cable Internet service and video entertainment customers across the state — not predominantly those in Jacksonville.
Personally, the issue also gets to Filipiak. As a long time executive in the cable TV industry — she’s been with MediaOne in Atlanta and Continental Cablevision in Broward and Dade counties — Filipiak has come to realize that there are no winners in these type of situations where companies and governments are battling over the control of millions of dollars. There are only losers and Filipiak feels for those affected most, but who have no say in the matter.
“I wish it was resolved and I feel for our employees here,” she said. “I live in South Florida, but it’s our employees here I’m most concerned about. We have 1,200 local employees who live here, have kids in school here and they are a part of the fabric of the community.”
Although it looks perfectly timed, both Filipiak and Director of External Communications Sarah Eder, claim the latest AT&T commercials — the ones in which AT&T employees are shown donating their time outside of work to such efforts as coaching a local high school football team — were planned long ago and are, ironically, airing now.
“That’s happening in every community, not just in Jacksonville,” said Eder.
Filipiak admits the issue bothers her — “Sure, I’m human” — but said the company has no desire and no plans to abandon the Jacksonville market.
“I don’t think so,” she said of AT&T ever deciding to just pull the plug and leave town. “It’s a great community and a wonderful place to do business. We want to work things out with the City and do the right thing.”