SANTA ANA : Council to Consider Cable Scrambling

The City Council will consider a resolution Monday to oppose a controversial proposal by the city’s cable company to scramble its signal.

Comcast Cablevision is considering scrambling its signal in an effort to revamp its selection of service packages and also to thwart residents who illegally tap into its signal.

Company officials said the move would require all subscribers to have a decoder box, thereby forcing many of the estimated 3,500 signal thieves to sign up for service, possibly boosting income for the company by $1 million a year.

At its meeting on Monday, the council will consider a resolution formally opposing the plan. On Nov. 19, the city’s Cable Television Advisory Board voted unanimously to oppose it. The council reacted coolly to the scrambling proposal at its Nov. 4 meeting.

Councilwoman Patricia A. McGuigan denounced it as a way to increase prices for the most frequently watched channels and noted that cities are legally powerless to regulate cable except in terms of quality control.

Although the company originally planned to implement the plan as early as November, General Manager David Barford said the proposal has been put “on hold” after receiving letters of protest from more than 75 customers.

The company, which Barford said is “extremely sensitive” to the complaints, is now researching whether the signal can be scrambled without creating problems for customers and will make a final decision on whether to proceed within the next few months.