(a) No cable communications company shall make any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in rates, charges, classifications, promotions, practices, regulations, facilities or services for or in connection with like services. No cable communications company shall subject any person to any prejudice or disadvantage in any respect whatsoever. However, this shall not be deemed to prohibit the establishment of a graded scale of charges and classification of rates to which any subscriber coming within such classification shall be entitled.
(b) No rate or charge for installation or basic cable communications service provided in the City shall be effective, nor shall any cable communications company advertise, collect or receive any rate or charge for its services, until it has filed a complete schedule of rates and charges as provided in Sections 808.22 et seq. and until such initial rates and charges have been approved as provided in Sections 808.22 et seq. The charges made for services of the franchisee hereunder shall be fair, reasonable and not higher than necessary to meet all costs of the service (assuming efficient and economical management), and shall provide a fair return to the franchisee. The franchisee shall receive no consideration whatsoever for its service other than in accordance with this section, Sections 808.22 et seq. or the franchise agreement, without the approval of Council. The applicant for a franchise shall include in its application its proposed rates, charges and deposits.
(c) No cable communications company may increase any rate or charge for cable communications service contained in its filed schedule, or alter any classification, contract, rule, regulation or practice as to result in any increase in its schedule of rates or charges for such service, without first filing such new increased rate or charge or alteration in its classification, contract, rule, regulation or practice with the City Clerk, as provided for in Sections 808.22 et seq., at least thirty days before such proposed increase is proposed to become effective, accompanied by a notice and proof of publication thereof for at least one insertion in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, which notice shall state the increase proposed. Whenever a cable communications company files with the City Clerk a schedule or notice increasing any rate or charge then in effect, Council shall proceed as provided for in Sections 808.22 et seq. The cost of such publication and public hearing shall be borne by the franchisee. The cable communications company shall have the burden of proof to establish the reasonableness and lawfulness of the proposed increase in its rates and charges.
(Ord. 175. Passed 7-21-81; Ord. 227. Passed 9-22-93.)