CONSUMER UPDATE

February 2004 Consumer Newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

• Electric Cost Decrease For All GEUS Customers
• GEUS Lineup Grows to More Than 250 Channels
• First GEUS Cable Rate Increase Since Launch in 2001
• 26 New PPV Channels Added
• How does GEUS cable and Internet compare to the other company in town?
• New Channels for our Hispanic Customers
• GM Notes
• GEUS Board Members - Past & Present

Electric Cost Decrease For All GEUS Customers

Beginning February 1st, all GEUS customers will be paying less each month for their electricity. Base customer charges for residential customers will be going down $2 each month while commercial monthly charges will be lowered by a $1.

Tom Darte, GEUS General Manager, attributes the cost reduction to the success of the cable TV & Internet operation and the economic gain through billing cable TV and Internet with the electric service. "The addition of 3500 plus cable & Internet customers has lowered our overall cost\bill and we wanted to pass these savings along to all our customers", explained Darte.

GEUS Electric often uses TXU as a benchmark to measure its rate competitiveness. TXU is one of the largest producers of electricity in the nation. GEUS' recent decrease magnifies its competitive advantage as GEUS residential rates were 7.9% lower than TXU before GEUS' February 1st rate decrease.

GEUS Lineup Grows to More Than 250 Channels

The best cable TV lineup in Greenville just got better with the addition of 48 new channels! Economy Plus customers now have a new channel and a new guide to assist them in finding something to watch on this 74 channel package. The Bravo network is now a part of the lineup as is a scrolling guide on channel 19. Included with the scrolling guide is "official" Greenville weather data from Major's Field.

GEUS Digital Customers have recently seen lots of new additions to their lineup. An improved interactive guide allows the viewing of 112 channels with 3 more coming in early Spring 2004. Added in January were the Outdoor Channel, Toon Disney, National Geographic, MTV2, Fox Movie Channel, Trio, Style, Nick Games & Sports, Nick Toons TV, MTV Hits, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Country and Bloomberg. SoapNet, Varsity and The Football Network will be added on or around May 1, 2004.

First GEUS Cable Rate Increase Since Launch in 2001

GEUS has had to increase the cost of its Economy Plus and Digital Packages. The increase of $2\month for Economy Plus customers and the $3 monthly increase for Digital customers are directly related to rising programming costs that GEUS pays to networks. "Most of the added cost comes directly from increases from two major sports networks", explained David McCalla, GEUS Assistant General Manager. "These just happen to be very popular channels", said McCalla. GEUS' combined monthly programming cost for these two networks has increased by 94% since the new cable system was launched in 2001.

The rising cost of sports programming is not just a Greenville, Texas issue. Cable Operators throughout the nation are seeing these type increases and passing the cost along to their customers. In a recent press release by the American Cable Association (ACA), ACA President Matthew Polka states, "When the latest consumer price index actually dropped by 0.1% in November, it's unimaginable that ESPN can rationalize forcing our customers to pay 20% more every year, or even 10% more, just to see Sports Center". Some Federal Legislators are not comfortable with these recent programming increases nation-wide and there may be investigation of this issue in the future.

Independent Cable News recently tagged ESPN with the title of Most Outrageous Pricing after a recent survey of Cable Operators found that 97% thought ESPN's pricing was either "Outrageous" or "Too High".

26 New PPV Channels Added

GEUS Digital customers now have access to 30 pay-per-view channels. Odds are when you sit down to watch a movie, there will be one coming on soon that you want to see. In addition to more movie options, the upgrade includes seven special in-car channels for Greenville's NASCAR fans. Fans will be able to switch channels throughout the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. This new feature puts fans right there with seven in-car camera channels, live team audio and real-time in-car data.

What does the NASCAR package cost?

Only on GEUS TV!

Sign Up for GEUS Digital Cable today
903.457.2800

Click here for a NASCAR In Car demo

Learn more about Pay-Per-View TV
or visit channel 126

How does GEUS cable and Internet compare to the other company in town?

Over 3500 Greenville households have asked this question over the past couple of years. Here are some comparisons to help you decide whether you want to switch to GEUS Cable TV & Internet and keep your money in Greenville or send it off to some city like Philadelphia.

GEUS 5% Less

Want more channels or some high speed Internet?

GEUS 17% Less

Want some HBO with that?

GEUS 19% Less

Want just Internet?

GEUS 38% Less

* source-Comcast website, brochure and Herald Banner announcement 11/30/03

Click here for cable lineup and complete pricing information.

Interested, but think it might be costly to switch? GEUS Installation Fee-FREE up to 4 TVs and\or 1 computer. We'd like to have your cable TV and\or Internet business!
Call 903-457-2800 today to sign up over the phone.

New Channels for our Hispanic Customers

GEUS' Paquete en Español, Diversión Greenville, ha ensanchado con la adición de Canal Sur, Infinito, Televisión Latino, TBN Enlace, y de Rola Video. Estos canales nuevos unen Televisión Internacional, Discovery en Español, Cinelatino, FOX Sports World Español, CNN Español, MTVS, VH Uno, Utilisima, y HTV Música. Quince canales digitales del español para sólo $5.75 extra cada mes.

GM Notes

I have told many of our citizens that I would give electricity away if I did not have to pay for the cost of producing and delivering it. The citizens look at me strangely when I say it, however, it is true. We only recover the cost of providing our services whether it be Electricity, Cable TV or High Speed Internet. It is our goal to provide better service, more programming, better features and the most reliable High Speed Internet system that technology can provide. Not only are we providing more service for less money but we offer features that just are not being provided by the competition so comparing cost is only just the beginning.

GEUS Board Members - Past & Present

Present Board Members

• Sue Ann Harting - Chairman
  
• Bill Rapp - Vice Chairman
  
• Renee Shelton - Secretary
  
• James W. Adams
  
• Randy Hall

Past Chairmen

More Variety & More Video on GEUS cable TV