Council OKs Transfer of Cable Franchise Despite Bias Claim

The Los Angeles City Council agreed Friday to the transfer of a cable television franchise 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 black workers, a charge rejected by company executives.

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.

“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 offices work in cramped, poorly equipped facilities while nonminorities at the Westchester offices work in spacious and well-equipped quarters.

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.”

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