Hazards Charged : United Cable Hits New Snag as DWP Demands Repairs

United Cable Television faces a new problem that could further delay its completion of the East San Fernando Valley cable TV system, a City Council committee was told Tuesday.

The city Department of Water and Power said it will not allow United Cable to start service to new customers after April 1 unless the company has corrected hundreds of safety violations that it has committed in the stringing of cable on utility poles.

William Cullen, United Cable president, said the additional work should not prevent the company from meeting a Dec. 31 deadline for completing the system.

“I don’t see any delay whatsoever,” he said.

United Cable was awarded the East Valley cable franchise in 1983 on the promise that it would complete the system in December, 1985. Since then, the company has received from the city an unprecedented four extensions that have pushed back the completion date until the end of 1988.

Serving 30,000 of 188,000 Homes

The company has installed about 600 miles of the 891-mile system and is serving 30,000 out of a potential 188,000 homes in the East Valley, Cullen said. The areas that remain without cable service are in North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Toluca Lake.

DWP’s ultimatum was delivered at a City Council Industry and Economic Development Committee hearing. The panel voted to fine United Cable $186,200 for failing to meet past deadlines for completing segments of the system if the firm fails to complete the system by Dec. 31.

DWP officials said they are concerned that unsafely strung cable poses a risk to utility workers. Cullen said the utility poles on which mistakes have been made represent a fraction of the 40,000 poles on which the company must string cable.