More cable service unlikely on Newport’s menu

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- When Corona del Mar resident Walt Naidus heard that

the Los Angeles City Council opened the city’s cable service to

competition last week, he called Newport Beach City Hall to find out when

they’d follow suit.

Naidus, who said he saw his cable bills climb from $12 to $42 over the

past dozen years, has long been an advocate of getting residents more

choice in cable providers.

“It’s a supply and demand issue,” he said. “When you’ve got more cable

companies, the price comes down.”

The decision made by folks in Los Angeles that caught Naidus’

attention will do just that.

Council members there approved plans by Western Integrated Networks to

build a fiber-optic network to bring cable television, high-speed

Internet access and telephone service to Los Angeles residents.

At the moment, five cable companies divide the city among themselves,

but their service areas don’t overlap.

The situation in Newport Beach is similar, where Cox Communications

and Adelphia Communications Corp. serve mostly separate parts of the

city.

As a result of the decision in Los Angeles, Western Integrated plans

to rip open streets and lay its own cable system alongside those of other

companies. The eight-year project is expected to cost about $2.2 billion.

Naidus said he plans to lobby cable companies to do the same here.

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff, Newport Beach’s point man for

telecommunications issues, said technically there’s no reason that it

could not happen.

“Our doors are open, and they could go into it any time,” Kiff said.

“It’s not like they don’t know we’re here.”

But the cost of “overbuilding,” as the process of laying new cable

systems is called, probably would prevent companies from approaching

Newport Beach, Kiff said.

Western Integrated “has gone into markets where they think they can

peel away customers and justify the huge expense” of constructing a

network, Kiff said. “They have to find us a worthy market first, and even

though we’re an affluent community we already have two companies that

provide full service.”

Full service includes television, phone and Internet service through a

cable company. Marty Zajac, a spokeswoman for Cox, said her company

already offers the full range of cable products. Adelphia officials could

not be reached for comment.

Kiff said he didn’t plan to ask outside cable companies to consider

Newport Beach as a market to expand.

“I suppose I can call them and say, ‘Come on in,”’ he said. “But it’s

arguably not the city’s role to advocate one provider over another.”

By the end of this year, Newport Beach officials will also have to

figure out what to do about the existing franchise agreement with Cox and

Adelphia, which will be up for renewal next year.

But cities have little control over the franchises and can only deny

renewal if proof exists that a company has failed to provide adequate

service.

NEWPORT BEACH CABLE SERVICE

Areas served by Adelphia:

* Old Corona del Mar

* Cameo Shores/Highlands

* Balboa Island

* Balboa Peninsula

* Harbor Island

* Lido Isle

* Linda Isle

* Newport Shores

* West Newport

* Newport Terrace

* Newport Heights

* Dover Shores

* Westcliff

* Eastbluff

* The Bluffs

* Irvine Terrace

Areas served by Cox:

* Newport Center

* Jasmine Creek

* Big Canyon

* Bonita Canyon

* Harbor View Hills

* Harbor Ridge

* Spyglass Hill

* Belcourt

* Bonita Creek

* Newport Coast

* Newport Ridge

Areas where service overlaps:

* Newport Dunes

* Coast side of Bay Drive

* Promontory Point

* Hyatt Newporter

* Harbor Cove

* Park Newport Apartments

* Bayview Terrace and Court

* John Wayne Airport area