TOWN BANS PORN CABLE CHANNELS

AZUSA, California, Sept 4 (LSN) – The Christian Science Monitor reported yesterday on a small southern California city which passed a resolution demanding that Charter Communications, one of the nation’s largest cable companies, omit x-rated programming from the local programming package offered to city residents. The move represents the first such challenge to a cable company. Councilman Dick Stanford said, “We oppose such things as graffiti, loose shopping carts, and similarly should oppose the inclusion of smut in a function – cable TV – that is carried out under a contract with … this city.”  Though the city council decision is not binding and infringes current court interpretations of the First Amendment’s freedom to speech provisions, the Monitor reports that the people of Azusa, who have recently won a string of conservative decisions, intend to win this one as well. Plans for a casino has been stopped, a legal challenge to displaying Christmas Nativity scenes in public spaces was rebuffed, and an attempt to remove a statue depicting prayer from the City Hall courtyard was thwarted.  Currently Charter Communications is attempting a conciliatory approach to the problem saying that a “compromise” should be found. Although they can appeal the ruling based on First Amendment infringement, city officials could simply choose to cancel their contract with the porn pushing cable station.