CYPRESS : Council Votes to Cut Basic Cable Rate

The basic cable television rate will decrease slightly for about 8,000 residents.

The City Council has unanimously approved action that reduces Copley Colony’s basic cable rate by 72 cents a month, from $11.94 to $11.22. It will go into effect no later than June 23.

A Copley Colony representative who spoke at Monday’s council meeting said the company does not object to the council action.

The City Council’s move came under federal legislation that once again allows cities to regulate basic cable rates under their jurisdictions. Congress previously had deregulated cable companies, but it restored local governmental authority in 1992 after numerous protests around the nation.

“Our federal government saw fit to deregulate cable, but it wasn’t long before they changed to regulate it again,” Mayor Richard Partin said.

The City Council reasserted its control over basic cable rates by hiring professional consultants to study Copley Colony’s fees. The consultants, who used Federal Communications Commission guidelines on cable rates, reported Monday night that they found Copley Colony “was overcharging on its basic rates by 72 cents but undercharging on remote controls and converter boxes by 2 cents and 10 cents respectively.”

The rate rollback would be retroactive to last September and Copley Colony is required to provide refunds within 30 days. The individual refund will be about $6 but will vary because Copley Colony can deduct its 12-cent undercharge for equipment for the months included in the refund period.

The consultants said Copley Colony has 7,956 subscribers in the city.