B-School Paid $47,000 for Cable Line

The Harvard Business School paid approximately $47,000 to connect a cable line to a single television in its luxurious athletic center Shad Hall, and now the school wants some of its money back, according to University sources.

The high installation cost has spawned a conflict that entangles the Business School, the cable television company and Harvard Real Estate (HRE)--which wants to connect cable lines to its nearby Soldiers' Field Park apartment complex.

The lone television set is located in a bar and lounge area operated by Au Bon Pain on the second floor of the exclusive, multi-million dollar gym. Cablevision of Boston installed the cable hook-up last summer.

Unlike other Harvard facilities, Shad Hall is off limits to most of the University community and is open only to Business School affiliates. The opulent athletic center boasts an indoor track, more than a dozen squash courts, several basketball courts, as well as jacuzzis, steam rooms and saunas.

Business School officials contacted this week refused to comment on the reported $47,000 price of the cable hook-up.

Some sources suggest that Cablevision may have had to bring in a new cable line from some distant location, thus driving up the installation cost. The Business School area was not previously connected with cable.

The Business School now wants to recover part of the installation cost from Cablevision, arguing that the company will earn additional revenue when the cable line is extended to the 400-unit Soldiers' Field Park residential complex, according to HRE President Kristin S. Demong.

"As I understand it, the Business School wants a rebate for a portion of that $47,000, and I think that's reasonable," Demong said yesterday.

The Business School is talking with Harvard Real Estate and Cablevision in an attempt to recoup a portion of the initial hook-up cost.

"We are currently in negotiation with the Business School and Cablevision and we hope to resolve the matter very soon," said Dianne Dyslin, spokesperson for HRE.

But HRE officials yesterday strongly emphasizedthat they are not parties to the billing dispute.

"Their beef is with Cablevision and not withus," Demong said.

"As far as Harvard Real Estate is concerned, wehave nothing to do with it," said David A.Zewinski, HRE's senior vice president for propertyoperations and construction. "That's an issuebetween the cable company and the BusinessSchool."

Zewinski said HRE has approved a plan forinstalling cable inside the Soldiers' Field Parkcomplex and that it is waiting for Cablevision toconnect the building.

"We want it and they should bring it in as fastas they can," he said. "Harvard Real Estate hastold the cable company that we'd like to havecable at Soldier Field Park, and it's incumbent onthem to figure out how to get cable there."

Neither Business School nor Cablevisionofficials would comment on the originalinstallation cost nor on the state of thenegotiations.

"The policy of Cablevision is that we do notmake public comments concerning our customers'accounts," said Charles Shuller, a Cablevisionspokesperson. "We are presently in negotiationwith Harvard Business School and Harvard RealEstate and we hope to resolve the matter verysoon.

But HRE officials yesterday strongly emphasizedthat they are not parties to the billing dispute.

"Their beef is with Cablevision and not withus," Demong said.

"As far as Harvard Real Estate is concerned, wehave nothing to do with it," said David A.Zewinski, HRE's senior vice president for propertyoperations and construction. "That's an issuebetween the cable company and the BusinessSchool."

Zewinski said HRE has approved a plan forinstalling cable inside the Soldiers' Field Parkcomplex and that it is waiting for Cablevision toconnect the building.

"We want it and they should bring it in as fastas they can," he said. "Harvard Real Estate hastold the cable company that we'd like to havecable at Soldier Field Park, and it's incumbent onthem to figure out how to get cable there."

Neither Business School nor Cablevisionofficials would comment on the originalinstallation cost nor on the state of thenegotiations.

"The policy of Cablevision is that we do notmake public comments concerning our customers'accounts," said Charles Shuller, a Cablevisionspokesperson. "We are presently in negotiationwith Harvard Business School and Harvard RealEstate and we hope to resolve the matter verysoon.