Cable TV Pact May Be Negotiated

Cable television may finally be coming to Rolling Hills.

Dimension Cable Services, which serves about 20,000 subscribers on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, has announced that its budget next year includes the costs of wiring the three-square-mile community.

However, construction of the system depends on whether Dimension and the city reach agreement on a franchise. City Manager Terrence Belanger said negotiations will probably begin early next year.

Rolling Hills is the only South Bay city without cable television service. Because of its rugged terrain and low density, cable companies have been reluctant to invest there.

However, Dimension would have to spend less than other companies to serve Rolling Hills because it could use antennas and other equipment already installed to serve neighboring communities.

A Dimension spokesman said it could cost twice as much per mile to wire Rolling Hills as other cities, and that the company could wind up spending $1 million on the job. Whether residents would pay higher subscription fees than those in neighboring cities depends on the franchise agreement and other factors, another spokesman said.

Basic cable service costs $18.95 a month in Rancho Palos Verdes. Dimension is a subsidiary of Times Mirror Cable Television Inc., a sister company of the Los Angeles Times.