THOUSAND OAKS : Cable TV Specialist to Speak at Meeting

An expert on cable television will brief Thousand Oaks residents on recent fee hikes and new regulations during a special workshop scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, at the start of the weekly City Council meeting.

Tracy Westen, a Los Angeles-based attorney who specializes in communications law, will describe the 1992 Federal Cable Act and explain the latest rate increases.

“He will explain what our rights are, what the rights of the cable company are, and why they raised their fees on Sept. 1 but haven’t yet provided the extra channels,” Councilman Frank Schillo said.

After the presentation, which will be broadcast on the government cable channel, the City Council is scheduled to vote on hiring Westen as a consultant. Schillo has proposed forming a consortium with other area cities to work with Westen and the cable companies to try to bring rates down.

‘We need to make sure we are fully aware of how we can exercise our rights,” Councilwoman Judy Lazar said. “Anyone interested in cable-TV issues should really tune in and get as much information as possible.”