Comcast Will Offer Less Costly Package

Cable subscribers will soon have the option of lower bills for fewer channels, under a deal the city has reached with Comcast Cablevision.

City staff members announced Monday that Comcast now will provide three levels of service, ranging in price from about $14 to just under $35 per month.

The council still must ratify the deal at its March 22 meeting for it to become effective.

Currently, the least expensive option available to Simi Valley subscribers is $28.15 for 43 channels. With the change, the cheapest package would cost $14.03 per month for 23 channels, including local broadcast stations.

City officials believe the cheapest package is good for senior citizens on fixed incomes who might not want or be able to afford a large number of channels.

Comcast will continue to provide 43 channels for $28.15, in what it will call a “basic service tier.” Customers 65 and older who live on fixed incomes can receive a $3 discount on the basic package, if they request it.

The most expensive cable package would provide 51 channels for $34.61.

“I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement,” said Comcast General Manager John Jackson. “We can move forward now.”

Jackson said the company plans to finish upgrading its hardware by year’s end, which will include more channels and fiber-optic cable.

Although the city could not force Comcast to reduce its rates or rearrange the cable packages, City Manager Mike Sedell said the company was willing to comply, in part, because the Federal Communications Commission is in the process of deregulating aspects of the cable industry.

Cable companies want to keep the cities they serve happy so federal regulators don’t introduce additional regulations, he said.

“The industry’s very concerned about self-regulation right now,” Sedell said.