6 Cities Appeal FCC’s Cox Rate Settlement
Several South County cities are appealing a Federal Communications Commission rate settlement with cable television operator Cox Communications.
The cities are frustrated over a September decision by the FCC to approve a blanket refund of $8.81 per household by Cox to satisfy complaints from the company’s U.S. cable franchises.
In their appeal, the cities claim Cox continued billing customers for extra cable-TV outlets in their homes after a 1994 FCC decision eliminated such charges. They claim South County customers were overcharged $6 million.
Cities appealing the FCC settlement are: Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. The case was filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco this month.
Cox officials said the company appealed the 1994 FCC ruling and was entitled to continue billing for the outlets while that appeal was pending. They added that the September settlement with the FCC wrapped up all outstanding overcharge issues, including the additional-outlet dispute.
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