City Ends Workshops After Cable TV Order

Ventura officials on Wednesday canceled their remaining public workshops on the city’s cable television service after a federal judge ruled the city could not prevent Avenue TV Cable from videotaping the sessions.

The restraining order was issued Wednesday by federal Judge Margaret M. Morrow in Los Angeles. She set a hearing for Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Attorneys for Avenue TV Cable filed a federal complaint stating that by preventing the cable station from recording the workshops, the city may have violated the Ralph M. Brown Act and the Federal Communications Act regarding open meetings and the cable station’s freedom of speech.

The city promptly canceled the remaining public workshops it had scheduled this week to get public input for its upcoming cable-franchise negotiations.

“I am sorry it had to come to this,” said Stephen George, owner and general manager of Avenue TV Cable. “Our right has just been upheld, the community’s rights have been upheld, and now the city is choosing to cancel the meetings. It is a very big disappointment.”

On Monday, the City Council voted 4 to 2 to authorize City Atty. Robert Boehm to take legal action against Avenue TV Cable to prevent it from videotaping and cablecasting the workshops after concerns were raised that participants would be inhibited by the cameras.

Further, city officials and their consultants argued it would be inappropriate for Avenue TV to tape the sessions because the company is in contract negotiations with the city, and the taping could be perceived as a tactic to influence the outcome of the workshops.

Boehm filed a complaint against Avenue TV Cable on Tuesday in Superior Court, but not before the federal judge issued the restraining order against the city. The restraining order remains in effect until Tuesday, when both sides will argue their case.

City officials said the workshops will be rescheduled.