Local News in Brief : Santa Ana : City Sues Past, Present Cable Franchise Holders

The city filed suit Wednesday against its past and present cable franchise holders, alleging that Group W Cable’s agreement to sell its contract for operating in Santa Ana to Comcast Cablevision is a violation of the City Charter.

The lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, was the latest action in a dispute between the city and its cable operators.

In the suit, the city maintains that the cable operators have violated ordinances and charter provisions that required the approval of the City Council for the sale to take place.

The suit asks the court to order Group W to resume operation of the city’s cable system and to bar Comcast from operating the system until the City Council grants it permission to do so.

The city has charged that Comcast has failed to meet the requirements of the franchise it took over from Group W in 1986. Santa Ana maintains that Comcast has failed to make several payments totaling more than $2 million to the city and that the franchise’s March rate increase--$13.50 to $17.95--was prohibited under its contract.

Comcast previously had filed suit against the city in federal court, charging that the city’s enforcement of the franchise agreement and fines of $1,000 a day imposed since last Dec. 1 were a violation of the company’s First Amendment rights.