SIMI, COMPANIES MAKE DEAL TO UPGRADE CABLE TV SERVICES.

Byline: Joseph Giordono Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - City cable subscribers may soon find themselves with improved customer service, more channel selections and cable Internet access under agreements Adelphia Communications has made to secure the city's cable franchise.

The City Council on Monday is expected to formally approve an agreement to transfer the city's cable service franchise from Comcast Cablevision to Adelphia.

The transfer is part of a larger agreement between the two companies to essentially trade assets to create large, contiguous blocks of subscribers.

``All of the parties - the city, Adelphia and Comcast - have signed off on the deal, so this action would just cement the transfer,'' said Joe Hreha, deputy director of compliance with the city's Community Services Department.

Under the agreement, Adelphia will assume control for the remaining five years of a 15-year cable franchise originally granted to Comcast in 1990. If Adelphia reaches certain service incentives, the franchise agreement will be extended to 2008 and possibly 2010.

``We kind of dangled this extension of the franchise agreement in order to get to the front of the line when Adelphia begins all of their system upgrades,'' Hreha said.

``With them expanding services in many cities, we wanted to be one of the first. It seems to have worked.''

Among the conditions: agreeing to increase the franchise fee from 3 percent to 5 percent; providing one cable hookup, one cable modem and free Internet access to all city buildings; and giving the options of digital services and cable modem services to all residents.

The city has also placed several other conditions on Adelphia.

Customers will be given two-hour appointment service windows, instead of the current four-hour period. The Simi Valley Library and all public schools will be provided with installation, one cable modem and Internet access service at no charge. Telecasting of local meetings and events is to continue at current levels.

The deal would also officially end the city's sometimes rocky relationship with Comcast, which had escalated earlier this year.

After years of consumer complaints, the city had threatened to revoke Comcast's cable franchise unless the company paid uncollected franchise fees and established a local service center.

Comcast established a Simi Valley service office May 8, and Adelphia officials have promised to keep that facility operational. Comcast also settled the fee dispute with the city, paying a $100,000 settlement earlier this year.

In the deal, Adelphia will gain 1.1 million subscribers in the Los Angeles area, including Simi Valley, company officials said.