SANTA PAULA : Joint Cable Plan to Be Discussed
The establishment of a public-access cable channel for Santa Paula and Fillmore has been delayed more than six months because the two cities cannot agree on how soon to let residents use it.
At a Santa Paula City Council meeting Monday, council members Wayne D. Johnson and Margaret A. Ely said they would meet with officials in Fillmore in the hope of reaching an agreement.
A plan to begin the joint cable operation between the two cities was proposed in 1990 by the city of Santa Paula. Under the plan, Ventura County Cablevision would give the cities $195,000 for public programming over a 10-year period for the right to do business in the area.
But Fillmore disagreed with a policy restricting the channel’s use to local government broadcasting only for the first year, putting the deal on hold. Santa Paula Assistant City Manager Paul Eckert said officials need a year to become acquainted with the equipment and to establish training programs for residents in both cities who would be permitted to broadcast over the channel for a fee.
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