Your Money : Century Cable Customers Are Not Happy

Century Cable customers in Los Angeles have called to tell us that the news about cable rates is even worse than first reported last week.

Folks in the Sherman Oaks and West Los Angeles franchise areas will see their basic and full cable rates go up July 15. They’ll also have to pay extra for a special converter if they want premium channels, such as HBO or the Disney Channel.

Last week, we noted that basic and full cable rates were falling in the East Los Angeles franchise territory but that new converter charges ate up the savings for premium customers. Century Cable blames the rate changes on new federal cable rules. The Federal Communications Commission is requiring cable firms to base rates on a formula that takes into account demographic information, the age of the cable system and other factors. Before this latest round of changes, Los Angeles residents paid the same price regardless of where they lived.

“We had no choice,” a Century Cable spokeswoman said of the changes.

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Century Cable customers are also upset about channel shuffling. For example, Century Cable has shifted Cable News Network to Channel 39 from 19. Full-service customers with older, 36-channel TV sets won’t be able to continue viewing CNN without either leasing a converter or buying a new television.

“It’s very unfair,” said Ian Smith, a Century Cable customer in Tarzana. “I really feel for older people without much money who like to watch CNN.”

Other customers with older TVs complained that TBS is being shifted to Channel 66 from 23.

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A spokesman for Century Cable said the company shuffled some channels to alleviate transmission difficulties. Family Channel, a new offering, is going to Channel 19. A preview guide, also new, will appear on Channel 23.

Century Cable must submit the changes to the city’s telecommunications office for review within 30 days.

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What price notoriety: Forget the stock market. Forget derivatives. For pure speculation, there’s nothing like O.J. Simpson memorabilia.

Asking prices for Simpson trading cards and autographed footballs have climbed more than tenfold in the wake of the football legend’s arrest on charges of murdering his former wife and her friend. Trading card asking prices range from $300 to $1,500--amounts one expert termed “outrageous.”

“It’s unfathomable that it has that kind of value,” said Joie Casey, president of Field of Dreams sports memorabilia stores. “Anyone paying those prices is being taken advantage of.”

Low-budget speculators are snapping up cards depicting ex-football player Al Cowlings, a Simpson friend and the man at the wheel during the low-speed police chase that ended with the arrest of both men at the Simpson estate in Brentwood. Casey said he sold nearly 100 Cowlings cards--his entire stock--at $1 apiece. They usually go for 50 cents.

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Safety testing: The Consumer Products Safety Commission has expanded its search for potential toxins in children’s art materials to chalk, watercolors and markers.

The move follows the April recall of 11 brands of imported crayons containing lead. Lead poisoning can lead to learning disabilities in children. Crayons involved in the recall were manufactured in China.

The agency is testing more than 50 brands of children’s art supplies for the presence of lead and other toxic substances. The supplies were imported from Mexico, Taiwan, Indonesia and several European countries. The commission is not testing U.S.-made products, but has asked American manufacturers to submit results of testing performed by an outside laboratory. A commission spokesman said the agency’s testing results are not yet available.

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Cutting out junk mail: A state law taking effect today requires credit card issuers to give cardholders a chance to delete their names from mailing lists sold to marketing companies.

Some credit card issuers sell lists of customer names to marketing companies targeting consumers based on their income or spending habits. The law prevents credit card issuers from sharing information without customers’ permission.

Stevan Allen, spokesman for Assemblyman Sal Cannella (D-Ceres), author of the law, said consumers should receive by today “opt-out” notices from card companies that share customer lists, allowing them to delete their names.

If you haven’t received such a notice, it could be because your card issuer doesn’t share its customer list. It is also possible that your card issuer has already given you a chance to scratch your name from its marketing lists, Allen said.

Century Cable Rates

Los Angeles residents’ rates for cable service will vary depending on where they live under changes that take effect July 15. A look at the changes for the city’s three franchise areas compared to the current citywide monthly rate:

Hourly Location Basic Premium Labor rates Currently citywide $23.23 $29.55 NA On July 15: East Los Angeles $21.07 $27.37 $16.75 West Los Angeles $25.50 $31.80 $21.75 Sherman Oaks $26.36 $32.66 $16.81

Source: Century Cable