We are often asked why we require a formal written Request for Change before approving a satellite dish installation.

The reason is simple: When it comes to slipshod installations, dish companies are perhaps the most irresponsible of all public utilities. They are worse than traditional cable companies, if you can imagine that.

The image to the right speaks volumes. The dish installers draped the cable between the main box and the closest gutter. In their laziness and complete disregard for our community, they then ran the cable through the gutters of three adjacent units before installing the dish—three doors down. (We have enough problems with leaves and gutter overflows without adding cables to the mix.)

This week, we called the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and the Attorney General of the great state of Ohio seeking some relief from these ham-fisted pirates. Both agencies told us that they are powerless to assist us, and that customers using these services are the only ones with any leverage to get these issues resolved. We'll follow up with the FCC, but don't hold your breath on that one.

The same companies routinely drill holes in roofs, feed cable through downspouts, and generally look for the fastest, easiest, and most unsightly way possible to run cable and mount hardware.

You might want to think about all this before signing up with the Pirates of the Cablestreamin'.