Adelphia Reverses Decision on Porn

The heat generated by Adelphia Communication Corp.’s decision to air hard-core pornography apparently was too hot for Southern California’s largest cable operator.

In a quick about-face, Adelphia stopped offering customers the opportunity to purchase triple-X programming after receiving tens of thousands of complaints from anti-porn activists and expressions of concern in investment circles that the hard-core fare could complicate the company’s pending sale.

“This has always been a political hot potato for cable operators because it’s a high-margin business, but you can also drive away customers if you’re not careful,” said senior analyst Derek Baine of Kagan Research. “They are in the middle of a sale and they really don’t want to get into having bad press associated with this stuff.”

Adelphia, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2002, would not comment on its decision beyond saying in a statement that “some concern has been expressed over this type of adult programming. Adelphia will remove it from all of its systems.”

Although Adelphia for some time has aired single- and double-X-rated programs (and will continue to do so), the company began offering even raunchier programming from Playboy Enterprises Inc. this month for the first time in a major market -- Southern California. When The Times disclosed the plan, it attracted headlines, and controversy, across the nation. Within a week, Adelphia pulled the plug.

Single-X-rated movies feature nudity, long-range or panoramic and medium-range camera shots, simulated sex and sex between women. Double-X-rated movies show intercourse, oral sex and close-up shots. Triple-X-rated movies feature anal sex and visible ejaculation.

Sources said one of Adelphia’s suitors, Time Warner Inc., which has submitted a joint bid with Comcast Corp., made it known it was worried about the potential fallout.

The biggest problems would probably have come after the sale, when individual cities -- more susceptible to public pressure -- would be faced with approving the transfer of franchise agreements.

“You could have people who go to city council meetings and protest

Opposition already had arisen from the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Assn. Randy Sharp, director of special projects, said his group sent 130,000 e-mails to Adelphia and the Department of Justice, asking U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzalez to investigate whether Adelphia’s plans violated federal obscenity laws.

Sharp said Adelphia’s move into triple-X porn could have opened a Pandora’s box of skin on cable.

“I think it brought an awareness to the table that mainstream cable companies were looking at obscenity as a way to generate income,” Sharp said. “Once they go there, other cable providers would want a piece of the pie.”

Adelphia’s decision to offer triple-X porn represented a stunning reversal for the cable company founded by John Rigas, 80, who refused to air any pornographic programs. Today, Rigas and one of his sons are awaiting sentencing for their convictions last summer on charges that they looted the company and engaged in fraudulent accounting.