Central : ORANGE : Cable Firm Gets Heat for Airing Adult Films

The City Council took a hard line against Cablevision of Orange this week for airing unscrambled adult movies into unsuspecting homes--three months after first learning of the problem.

Council members agreed to fine the local company and its parent corporation, Time Warner, $500 for allowing minors to be exposed to “harmful matter.” They also passed an ordinance that will allow them to fine the company up to $4,800 for repeated violations, beginning Jan. 12.

“Within a week, we will work with the community to gather evidence and submit formal complaints against Cablevision and its management to the county district attorney, the state attorney general and the Federal Communications Commission,” Mayor Joanne Coontz told parents among the audience at Tuesday’s council meeting. “These agencies, and not the city, have the authority to prosecute the state and federal laws possibly being violated.”

Cablevision officials also can expect a letter within the week acknowledging that their failure to control the airing of the movies was a “material breach” of their franchise agreement with the city, Coontz said. The company could lose a renewal contract in April, she added.

Tom Miller, an attorney for Cablevision, repeated the company’s position that so-called “traps,” which cut channels off, are the only effective remedy until new technology can be brought in.

Coontz and other council members told him that was no longer enough. “The defensive position you’ve presented here tonight doesn’t do much good,” she said.

Councilman Mike Spurgeon said he was particularly disappointed that Cablevision, “a good corporate citizen,” had not resolved the problem by now.

“We have the highest esteem for you, but we’ve got to hold your feet to the fire,” he told company representatives. “I’m afraid you’ve used up an ample amount of goodwill. . . . Until this thing is fixed, you should probably just take the (adult movies) off the air.”