ORANGE : Cable Operator, City Reconnect for 15 Years

The city and Cablevision of Orange have agreed on terms of a 15-year franchise agreement that officials say will provide customers with better equipment and more control over adult programming.

The pact, approved by the City Council on Tuesday, came almost exactly a year after scores of parents protested the transmission of sexually explicit movies to homes that had not subscribed to the channels.

In response, the city sought bids from other cable operators but received none. Officials then focused their attention on negotiations with Cablevision.

The problem of unwanted transmissions has been largely resolved, and upgraded cable lines will allow each channel eventually to have a parental control device, Assistant City Atty. David De Berry said.

Not all residents who attended the public hearing on the issue were satisfied, though. Some parents said they have discovered that some Spanish-language channels include programs with nudity, and others lamented the lack of religious-based programs.

Cablevision General Manager Kristy Casasanta told them that she “shares their frustration” but that federal laws limit the company’s control over programming.

Under terms of the new agreement, Cablevision will supply $100,000 worth of cameras and editing equipment for the broadcast of City Council meetings and agreed not to pass along that cost to subscribers.

The city will hire its own technicians at the cost of $16,000 to $19,000 a year, De Berry said. That cost could be covered by cable franchise fees, he said.

Cablevision also will provide a channel for government programs, another for educational programs and another for either local programs or public access.