Cerritos : City Still Seeks Cable Bids

Bidding for the cable television contract in Cerritos will be extended until Jan. 9 because the city had not received any formal proposals by its mid-November deadline.

Spokeswoman Michele Ogle said city officials were surprised at the lack of interest, particularly after consultants had indicated that the community’s upscale image might trigger intense competition for the $10.3-million cable contract. Ogle said several companies expressed concern about the time-consuming--and costly--city requirement of burying the cables.

Cable companies prefer putting lines on telephone poles because it costs less. However, the city requires all new utilities to be placed underground. Such a system could cost up to $60,000 a mile to install, while an above-ground system costs about $20,000 a mile, a city report says.

Since 1972, underground cable hookups have been required for new houses in Cerritos. Older homes will be made cable-ready at the expense of the company that wins the contract. Cerritos officials had hoped that construction of the system could begin early in 1986, with completion by late 1986.