HUNTINGTON BEACH : Cable Firm Hopes to Halt 5% User Fee

Paragon Cable, which serves the city, announced Wednesday it will try to halt a new 5% city fee on cable TV by building opposition among city residents.

The City Council, seeking to raise money to ease a budget crunch, voted Monday night, 5 to 2, to impose the fee. But Don Weddle, a spokesman for Paragon, on Wednesday noted that the fee ordinance faces a second reading June 17 before it officially passes.

“We hope to get citizens to protest this,” he said. “We hope to derail it.”

Weddle said Paragon is already using anti-fee ads on cable TV. “We’ll also be having mailers and newspaper ads” against the fee, he said.

The fee must be approved by a two-thirds majority, or five of the seven council members. Weddle said Paragon hopes one or more of the five council members who voted for the fee Monday can be persuaded to oppose it by the June 17 second vote.

Mark Mangiola, Paragon’s executive vice president and general manager, said Wednesday that anti-fee sentiment is strong among the city’s 43,000 cable subscribers.

“If incoming phone calls are any indication, there may be a real revolt among our customers--the council’s constituents--before this is all over,” Mangiola said.