Protest Fails to Stop Cable Transfer

The Los Angeles City Council agreed to a cable television franchise transfer Friday despite allegations of racial discrimination against one of the firms involved.

A group of African Americans who have worked as trainees at Continental Cablevision charged that the company provides inferior facilities and training for blacks. Company executives have rejected the assertion.

The group asked the council to postpone for 60 days the transfer of six franchise areas from Continental to US West Inc. to give civil rights officials time to investigate the charges.

Although the council unanimously approved the transfer, Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who heads the council’s Information Technology Committee, called for an investigation into the charges.

But that did not appease the 20 or so protesters, who said holding up the transfer would put more pressure on the cable firm to address the charges.

“We are discriminated against,” said Michael Stevens, executive director of the Cable Access Producers Assn. “We are asking for equality.”

Stevens said he and other African Americans who produce cable access shows at Continental Cable’s South-Central Los Angeles offices work in cramped, poorly equipped facilities while “non-minorities” at the Westchester offices work in spacious and well-equipped quarters.

In a letter to city officials, Stevens also alleges that African Americans are discouraged from working as trainees in the Westchester office. He added that he has filed charges of discrimination with state and local fair-employment agencies.

But Perry Parks, regional vice president of Continental Cablevision, rejected the charges, telling the council: “‘We patently deny and are quite frankly outraged at the charges.”

Ridley-Thomas said he would reserve judgment on whether the allegations have merit until an investigation is completed.

“We will have an airing of the issues,” he said. “If they are deemed substantial, we will take it to the next step.”

The council has the power to impose new requirements or revoke a cable franchise in the city.

The franchise transfer, which would affect more than 200,000 homes from Sylmar to the Wilshire area, is part of a merger signed in February between Continental Cablevision and US West Media Group, a Colorado-based telecommunications and media firm.

Continental Cablevision is the third-largest cable television provider in the United States, serving 900,000 homes in California alone.

The transfer involves franchise areas in Sylmar, Sunland, Wilshire, Westchester, South-Central and Wilmington. Under the transfer agreement, US West must abide by all the conditions and terms imposed on Continental Cablevision.