Cable

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- Fuzzy reception? Questions on bills? Lost a favorite channel? Can't get through to an AT&T Broadband customer service representative? City Hall. This evening. Be there. AT&T Broadband representatives will address customers' concerns during an unprecedented community forum Thursday in council chambers, hoping their efforts will convey a continued commitment to improving customer service in the city. "We expect to provide better service for our customers," said Del Heintz, director of local government affairs for AT&T Broadband -- the cable company that offers exclusive service to Costa Mesa residents.

Charter Communications has been put on notice by the City Council that its cable television franchise could be in jeopardy if improvements aren't made to service and safety. While the council wanted staff members to continue renewal negotiations with Charter, they also wanted other options to be considered. "We are tied to your company but we have a lot of problems and complaints," Mayor Jef Vander Borght said. "I would like to see us find competition to your services.

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- Cable giant AT&T Broadband on Monday escaped a $100 per day fine for poor customer service when City Council members narrowly decided to delay action until they receive more data. The council voted 3 to 1 to postpone the issue until AT&T Broadband officials could provide more information but required cable officials to hold monthly community meetings to address Costa Mesa residents' needs until customer service levels are up to par. Councilwoman Karen Robinson dissented.

The system's still got a few bumps, but Newport Beach's two cable TV companies will soon begin to broadcast the meetings of the Orange County Board of Supervisors. In light of the supervisors' decision Tuesday to support Newport Beach's effort to extend the flight caps on John Wayne Airport beyond 2005, city officials expect that residents' interest in the meetings will rise while the board continues to discuss the matter. Comcast's Channel 3 will broadcast the Tuesday board meetings at 8 p.m. Saturdays.

June Casagrande NEWPORT BEACH -- Cable customers and city officials are taking a wait-and-see approach to the news that Adelphia Communications Corp.'s Southern California operations are for sale. The cable company on Wednesday announced it would start soliciting bids for a number of its assets, including its Southern California operations. Adelphia is one of two cable companies in Newport Beach, serving about two-thirds of the city. Cox Communications Inc. is the city's other provider.

-- Compiled by Daily Pilot staff Remember Carol Hoffman? The smartly dressed, eloquent blond who succeeded in convincing nearly everyone -- or at least the Costa Mesa City Council -- that the Home Ranch project was good for the community? Yeah, her. Well, the folks at AT&T Broadband have hired Hoffman and her public relations team at Government Solutions to help promote the cable company's renewed dedication to customer service. Hoffman is no stranger to heavily debated subjects and proved her grace under fire while defending the development of 93 acres of Segerstrom lima bean farm.

The cable reality series “The Real Housewives of Orange County” is tossing a Newport Coast resident into the mix for season five of the hit series. Newport Coast resident Alexis Bellino, 32, will join cast members Tamra Barney, Lynn Curtin, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Gretchen Rossi for season five of “The Real Housewives.” Married to entrepreneur Jim Bellino, Alexis Bellino is a stay-at-home mom to 3-year-old son James and 20-month-old twins Melania and Mackenna.

AT&T BROADBAND Officials from the cable giant that holds the only service contract in Costa Mesa will address the City Council tonight to outline steps to improve customer service in the area. Del Heintz, the director of local government affairs for AT&T Broadband, will discuss recent problems with customer service related to extensive changes in technology and programming. Council members will decide what action the city should take regarding the cable company -- although the law really limits what they can do. The Federal Communication Commission governs contracts between cable companies and cities.

Costa Mesa Mayor Eric Bever has taken a step toward welcoming more competition for the city’s cable TV company, Time Warner. Bever recently asked city staff to draft a letter inviting telecommunications providers to do business with the city. Many local customers have been complaining about Time Warner service, the city’s major provider of cable television, he said. Residents have griped about inadequate customer service and irregular television service to the City Council.

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District's Board of Education meetings can now be viewed online from the comfort of home. The city of Costa Mesa has partnered with the district to make videos of school board meetings available on the city's website the day after the meeting. The city already has video of the district's Jan. 11 meeting and study session online and plans to continue posting video of all future meetings, officials said. "Now you can watch the school board meeting from anywhere around the world," said Trustee Katrina Foley.

The blogosphere has been abuzz with talk about Rep. John Campbell’s recent appearance on the MSNBC show “Hardball with Chris Matthews” in which Matthews waves a copy of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate around and gets Campbell to admit he actually believes the president was born in the United States. Campbell is one of nine co-sponsors of House Bill 1503, also known as the “Birther Bill.” The bill would require future presidential candidates to prove they meet the basic eligibility requirements to become president, as laid out in the U.S. Constitution.

The cable reality series ?The Real Housewives of Orange County? is tossing a Newport Coast resident into the mix for season five of the hit series. Alexis Bellino, 32, will join cast members Tamra Barney, Lynn Curtin, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough and Gretchen Rossi. Married to entrepreneur Jim Bellino, Alexis Bellino is a stay-at-home mom to 3-year-old son James and 20-month-old twins Melania and Mackenna. A news release announcing the addition to the cast describes Alexis Bellino as ?

I’m still seeing and receiving advice on improving grades and test scores that fails to include the elimination of one activity that doesn’t cost a dime, that promotes reading and has also been proven to help prevent childhood obesity. Yes, I mean turning off the TV, but now there is even more of a reason to quit. According to a recent study of a survey of nearly 30,000 American adults conducted between 1975 and 2006 as part of the General Social Survey, it turns out that unhappy people watch 30% more television than happy people.

Costa Mesa is considering hiring a consultant to inspect cable television service around the city to determine whether Time Warner Cable — the city’s exclusive provider since 2006 — has any problems that need fixing to improve reception. In the past couple of years numerous residents have complained about the quality of Time Warner’s cable service, claiming that the picture is spotty and that reception is frequently interrupted. The City Council has even hosted meetings with a Time Warner representative to ask for explanations for the problems.

Fess up, Time Warner. Or pony up the refunds. A bit of background: Costa Mesa residents are experiencing more than a little difficulty with their television screens, and at some inopportune times, such as during sporting events. Consider: It was the heart of the Angel’s final playoff game. Thousands of fans were glued to their television screens, watching every pitch of an epic matchup, when the images and voices suddenly began to scramble, becoming more and more intermittent by the minute until it was impossible to see what was going on. The much maligned Time Warner Cable customer service department was flooded with angry phone calls, but a message told customers that their calls were futile because the company has no control over the problem.

It was the heart of the Angel’s final playoff game Monday night. Thousands of fans were glued to their television screens, watching every pitch of an epic matchup, when the images and voices suddenly began to scramble, becoming more and more intermittent by the minute until it was impossible to see what was going on. The much maligned Time Warner Cable customer service department was flooded with angry phone calls, but a message told customers...

Costa Mesa officials might take legal action against Time Warner Inc. after the city of Los Angeles sued the cable provider for allegedly misleading subscribers and providing them with an unacceptably shoddy product and slow, incompetent service. In response to that suit and a history of complaints from local residents dissatisfied with the cable provider, Costa Mesa City Attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow wants to find out whether similar actions might be in Costa Mesa’s best interest.