Four Companies Compete For City Cable Franchise

Cambridge is finally moving closer to getting its long-awaited cabled television system.

Four cable companies have filed bids for the privilege of wiring the city A 19 member cable advisory committee will now review the proposals along with a private cable consultant hired by the city.

"We're very pleased--all the companies look interested in Cambridge." Joseph Sakey, the city's cable commissioner, said last week. "Now all we have to do is examine them carefully."

Sakey said the city's recommendations should be ready before the end of the month.

All the cable proposals offer satellite channels, public access facilities and pay services such as Home Box Office, and all their prices fall within the same range.

208 Channels

But predictably, each company says its service provides the best option for the city. Cablevision spokesman Donna Garofino said her company offers the highest number of channels, about 208. Also, since Cablevision runs systems in Boston and Brookline, the three networks could be interconnected. "Harvard Medical School, in Boston, could broadcast to the University in Cambridge," Garofino said.

Another bidder, Cambridge Cablevision Corporation, has estimated the lowest number of cable subscribers among all four bids. "They are all proposing just about the same service, but we feel our view is the most realistic," company President Alan M. Flaherty said yesterday. The city's large population of transients reduces the cable users, Flaherty explained.

American Cable Systems, which operates franchises in Milton. Quincy and other surrounding communities, claims its experience entitles it to the market.

Cooperative Cable

And Cambridge Consumer-Owned Telecommunications. Inc., offers subscriber-owned service, a proposal favored by several members of the city council since the defeat of a November referendum allowing the city itself to bid.

When the city finishes its review of the preliminary bids, the companies will be given the opportunity to revise their proposals. The final vote will take place sometime next fall, officials said.