Cut The Cord: Support & Information Page

Welcome to the “Cut The Cord”
Support & Information Page
for Host Towns & Libraries

"Cut the Cord" is a community presentation meant to help you get rid of the cost and limits of "cable TV" and replace it with the endless options available from online streaming.

The original sessions were presented in 2016 and 2017 at library and town events all over CT.

New! “Better Net” is a new, companion presentation that focuses on the key and complicated issue of getting great, secure, low-cost internet service and wifi in your home or small business! Click Here for Details!

Current Schedule

Note that fall/winter bookings have begun: grab your session slot now!

Date Day Time Town Notes
11/7/2020 Saturday 3 pm Waterford
 1/6/2021 Wednesday  6:30 pm  Southington Postponed
1/9/2021 Saturday 3 pm Terryville
1/13/2021 Wednesday 6 pm New Milford
1/20/2021 Wednesday 7 pm Darien
1/25/2021 Monday 6 pm Cheshire
1/30/2021 Saturday 4 pm Salisbury
2/4/2021 Thursday 4 pm Goshen
2/9/2021 Tuesday 6 pm Glastonbury
2/10/2021 Wednesday 7 pm Kent
2/16/2021 Tuesday  TBA  Southington
2/23/2021 Tuesday 6:30 pm Tolland
2/24/2021 Wednesday 6:30 pm Trumbull
3/10/2021 Wednesday Bethel Canceled
4/10/2021 Saturday TBA Tolland II
4/17/2021 Saturday 3 pm Cheshire II
5/1/2021 Saturday 2 pm Lyme
5/15/2021 Saturday 3 pm Weston
6/12/2021 Saturday 2 pm Derby
9/18/2021 Saturday 2 pm North Haven
10/23/2021 Saturday 4 pm North Stonington Postponed - TBA
10/30/2021 Saturday 2 pm Essex
11/10/2021 Wednesday 6:30pm Mansfield
11/13/2021 Saturday 2 pm Essex II 50th Session!
— Happy New Year! —
1/6/2022 Thursday 6 pm Glastonbury
2/15/2022 Tuesday 7 pm Wilton  
         
5/25/2022 Wednesday 6 pm Guilford/SSILL  
         

 

Any day not taken is available for scheduling.

I am not planning to publicize this presentation as a whole; I am leaving it to each library or town to attract its own audience without losing any to other sessions. Please do keep up the word-of-mouth among CT and regional libraries and towns, though — I'd love to do as many of these as there is interest.

Please feel free to work out scheduling differences and exchanges with each other!


The 2020/2021 Presentation Series

This presentation was originally given in person at nearly thirty sessions all over Connecticut, from October 2016 until August 2017. Attendance was often the highest the library or town had seen that season (into the hundreds more than once), the response was enthusiastic and the inquiries continued long after I relocated to Colorado.

The COVID situation has made remote/virtual presentations more acceptable to a wider range of people and is likely to get even more popular this winter as we remain stay-home, locked-in and struggling to find connection, community and entertainment. (Not to mention ways to pinch pennies!) So while travel back to CT to give more sessions of this presentation wasn't a workable idea, using online meeting tools certainly is. And I'm glad to be available to continue this popular event! The first part of the year saw some 18 sessions; and the fall and winter are open for booking!

Details

Thanks for your town's interest!

 


Promo Materials

Please ask if you need anything else for your announcement and publicity needs. All permissions for use and reasonable modification granted.

Program Description

"Cut the Cord" is an entertaining community presentation meant to help cable-TV customers break the expensive and often frustrating cable service cycle and gain lower costs, greater control and a vastly expanded selection of entertainment and communication choices. Attendees will learn how to get out of a cable service agreement, find and negotiate the best internet/broadband access deal, and get started with streaming services for a vast range of entertainment options... many of which are free!

The presentation covers the details of streaming equipment (some of which attendees may already own) and how to explore the ever-expanding list of channels and services that streaming—as well as the "forgotten" free resource of broadcast TV—can bring to your living room. Support issues such as quality home WiFi and low-cost home phone service are covered as well. You don't need advanced technical expertise... just the right information! If you're tired of endless rate increases and shell games with service and programming terms, cut your expense and take control... come learn how to Cut the Cord!

About the Presenter

James Gifford is uniquely qualified to present this seminar. He has been a writer, editor and publisher for 30 years, focusing on bringing complex subjects to introductory and novice audiences. He has been in the tech and consumer electronics industry for about that long as well, much of it at the engineering level in business and personal communications and telecom. And he has spent much of the last decade writing about consumer economics and advocating for consumer rights. He is a completely independent speaker with no ties or interests to any cable, communications, online, entertainment or equipment companies. He was a resident of Tolland for six years and now connects to these sessions from Denver, Colorado.

Public Contact Information

(May be used in public-facing materials — please keep any other email addresses confidential.)

Graphics

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Presenter James Gifford

 

Presenter James Gifford and assistant