GTE to Offer Cable TV in Some Areas

Ventura County supervisors approved GTE’s proposal Tuesday to expand its new cable-television franchise to serve unincorporated areas of the county, widening the competition between the telephone company and existing cable providers.

The board granted GTE Media Ventures permission to serve unincorporated areas adjacent to the cities of Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Santa Paula.

Thousand Oaks became one of the first cities in the county earlier this year to take advantage of new telecommunications legislation and allow the telephone company to enter the lucrative cable television market.

With the board’s action Tuesday, GTE expects to be serving a total of 122,000 county households by the end of 1998, said GTE spokeswoman Carrie Hyun. The company will offer 78 channels initially, but plans to add another 150 in the future, she said.

Fiber-optic cables will deliver the expanded service, Hyun said. The hair-thin cable lines transmit a far greater number of television signals and voice conversations than traditional copper cables.

In addition to Thousand Oaks, Hyun said GTE is seeking franchise agreements with the four cities that it plans to surround with cable coverage.

Ventura County and Tampa Bay, Fla., are the two regions GTE has chosen to launch its $250-million foray into cable television.