Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Cox Cable sells local system

Gurdon City Council met Monday night and agreed to transfer the towns cable television franchise authority to CeBridge Corporation from Cox Cable.

Prices will continue to be reviewed on an annual basis, said Robbie Lee, cable systems manager in this area for the past 26 years. Lee said he would stay on as such with CeBridge and that the new company looked promising as to the offering of such additional services as: HD, Video on Demand and Video Television.

Mayor Clayton Franklin pointed out to Council members that the franchise authority is not exclusive "and so we could allow another cable company in here too if the new company does not do what it says."

The transfer from TCA Cable Partners and Cox Cable Inc. to SeBridge is necessary for the town to continue receiving cable from the same set up it has had.

Council members unanimously approved Resolution 06001 which transferred the franchise authority from Gurdon to Cox to Gurdon to SeBridge.

Lee said, "HDTV will be scheduled to start in Gurdon this year, but there is no talk of a rate increase in 2006."

Mayor Franklin said Cox Cable TV sold some assets to SeBridge and the Gurdon system was included in that sale. All Cox is retaining in Arkansas is Rogers and Springhill.

"They are selling Gurdon, Jonesboro, Arkadelphia, Russellville and more," Mayor Franklin said.

In addition to Lee, Chris Echols, Cox plant manager in Arkadelphia, will stay on with CeBridge as a field system manager.

Mayor Franklin expressed concern that Cox Cable was a household name and SeBridge must be a new company.

Lee said he was impressed with his new boss and the SeBridge business practices, offering to have another St. Louis company man to come and talk to the City Council.

"That really is not necessary if you are going to still be our cable guy," Franklin said. "And we could always get an additional cable franchise anyway so I feel like we can do what you folks need done with regard to the franchise authorization transfer."

Main Street

In other business, Jon Capps sent a proposal for the City Councils consideration involving side-by-side parking on Main Street, to lessen the chances of someone stepping out of their car into traffic.

The Council tabled the idea, as they said it would cause too many accidents when people backed out on Highway 53. And besides, said Tambra Childres, "My husband, Don (the marshal) said he believed the safety risk would be worse after the change."

Nobody on City Council agreed to the proposed change. The mayor said he did not believe the Arkansas Highway Department would approve the proposal, even if the City Council voted it in.

"We do not get a lot of cooperation from them concerning their highway (Highway 53, Main Street Gurdon)," Mayor Franklin said.

"Really, the only way this Council might change our minds and try to comply with Jon Capps would be if all of the merchants on Main Street sign a petition and bring it to us. Then we might reconsider and go with this idea. Right now, it is just put on hold."

Housing Authority

Moreover, the Council approved the election of a new committee member on the board of the Clark County Housing Authority. Wendell Britt will serve from March 6, 2006 until March 1, 2011.