CABLE TV TO MAKE CHANGES

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- As of May 1, cable television subscribers in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will be paying more for the service.

But they will also benefit from increased programming as the result of the addition of some cable channels to the system, including Cinemax and the Prime Sports Network, said Roger Harms, general manager of TCI Cablevision in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

The monthly charge for economy basic service, which consists of the local broadcast channels and a few cable channels, will increase from $10 to $10.50.

The monthly cost of full, basic service, which comprises all but the premium channels, will increase from $17.95 to $20.30, Harms said Friday.

Subscribers will pay $12.70 a month for HBO, a 25-cent increase over the current charge.

Currently, subscribers pay $11.95 a month to watch Showtime. That charge will be increased to $12.20, which is the same amount that will be charged those receiving Cinemax, a premium movie channel.

The monthly charge for the Disney Channel will remain at $9.95.

Cinemax will be added to the cable system April 1, Harms said. Cable customers will be able to watch Cinemax for free for one week, beginning Monday.

Cinemax will air on Channel 22. WGN, which is shown on Channel 22, will be moved to Channel 30.

Harms said many subscribers had asked for Cinemax. "With the addition of Cinemax our customers will be able to choose from four of the most popular premium channels offered in our industry."

Harms said the price increases are the result of inflation and hikes in programming fees, which have resulted in increased operating costs for the cable system.

Programming costs have increased as programming on cable channels has improved, he said. TCI is simply passing those costs on to the subscribers, he said.

"The thing that people don't realize is that when people go out and make quality programming, somebody is going to have to pay for it."

Harms pointed out that when ESPN goes out and secures the broadcast rights to NFL games, the cable network experiences higher production costs, which, in turn, are passed on to the cable systems in the form of higher programming fees.

In a letter that will be sent to subscribers, the cable operator said: "Independent cable networks are producing more and better original programming. This increased production has benefited our customers, rewarding you with hundreds of hours of original entertainment, which cannot be found anywhere else."

Harms said the last rate increase occurred last May. He predicted, however, that cable charges will level off in the future and that customers will increasingly be able to pick and choose the programming that they want to see.

Pay-per-view is offered in some cable markets and ultimately could be offered here, said Harms.

"We have a 36-channel system at the present time," he said. "We have about all of our channels filled up."

To add many more channels would require a major expansion of the cable system or even the complete rebuilding of the system, he said.

TCI has more than 12,000 cable subscribers in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson areas. About 64 percent of the area households have cable service, said Harms. "It grows every year."

Harms said most customers are satisfied with the service.

The new rate for full, basic service amounts to 67 cents a day, and for that TCI offers customers over 600 hours of programming per day, Harms said.

In contrast, a family of four can spend $15 to $20 to go to a movie in town, he said.

"It's a good deal," Harms said of the cable service.