For 12 years, ever since Click!’s conception in 1997, Diane Lachel has kept an office seat warm, and a congenial disposition in Click!’s home base in the Tacoma Public Utilities building. For the last five of those years, Diane has witnessed Tacoma area cable subscribers save over (gasp!) $107 million dollars. With Click! on the scene — a fairly competing cable alternative — other cable companies have had to lower their prices, thus giving all of us TV addicts huge savings. Oh, murder — I sound like a commercial, don’t I? Someone instigate immature rapport, and quickly!
DIANE LACHEL: Who is this little one by your side?
DEROSA: Oh, that’s my daughter. She’s out of school for the summer, so she’s tagging along for another month.
LACHEL: So, she’s your intern?
DEROSA:Well, I suppose a 6-year-old could write for the Volcano.
LACHEL: That’s at least true for your column. Do you have any questions for me?
DEROSA: Yeah, I do. I’d like to know how in the hell you’re able to be cheaper than Comcast, yet have better channels and customer service?
LACHEL: We’re basically non-profit, so we’re not really out to make a buck. The money we do make, we put back into the business, bettering the equipment.
DEROSA: Ah, OK. Got it. I see you have a ton of channels, 50 being HD, but only two are porn-related. How’s that?
LACHEL: Well, we have Playboy and Spice. Isn’t that enough?
DEROSA: Have your customer service reps noticed an influx of calls due to the nature of your obscenely low porn channel count?
LACHEL: Not really, no. Wait a second…what did you say your name was again?
DEROSA: I’m sure I have a very common name. There are probably a lot of Steph DeRosas calling here. Right? Requesting more porn channels?
LACHEL: That’s OK; we get a lot of repeat callers every month. Some of them even have their favorite representatives they like to talk to. All customers are important here.
DEROSA: My favorite representative is any one of them that will fulfill my request. In HD. A new porn channel in HD, please.
LACHEL: Remember, Steph, this is a government agency. We’re part of Tacoma Power. I thought you were here to seriously interview me.
DEROSA: I am serious.
LACHEL: Yeah and I’m seriously glad your daughter isn’t homeschooled, and the summer’s almost over.
[Click! Network, 3628 S. 35th St., Tacoma, 253.502.8900]