Check listings in a year for cable wishes

June Casagrande

The city’s two cable companies can have one more year of the

status quo before the city becomes a tough customer.

Council members are expected to vote Tuesday on extending for one

more year the city’s franchise agreement now governing Cox and

Adelphia cable companies. In the meantime, city staff will put the

finishing touches on what it hopes will be a powerful bargaining

tool: the community’s cable wish list.

Through focus groups and phone surveys, city officials have been

gathering input on what residents want from their cable companies. At

least in the context of these discussions, the sky’s the limit:

increased public access, extensive broadcasting of school sports,

producing more local government shows -- you name it. The problem is

that federal rules leave the city virtually powerless to turn away

any cable provider, regardless of the quality or scope of services.

But public pressure can go a long way, city officials say.

“The cable companies do have some good-faith obligations to try to

serve the needs of the community,” City Manager Homer Bludau said.

City officials had hoped to renegotiate terms of the companies’

two cable contracts this month, but were not quick enough. Last year,

the city extended the agreement for one year. On Tuesday, the council

is likely to do the same.

“We did get a little behind schedule of where we wanted to be,”

Bludau said. “A one-year extension allows us to better assess the

needs of the community in order to assure the best service possible.”