NEGOTIATIONS WILL START SOON FOR CABLE FIRM

The vice president and general manager of KFVS-TV, Howard Meagle, says he wants "to sit down and negotiate our value" with Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) and other cable companies that have carried the station's signal without charge in the past.

Under a new federal law that takes effect Oct. 6, cable systems will have to get approval to carry the signals of stations like KFVS, WPSD and WSIL. If they do not receive approval, which in some instances could require cable systems to pay for the signal, then cable systems could be without the network affiliate stations for CBS, ABC, and NBC.

"Our position is that KFVS has value to this cable system," said Meagle. "Hopefully they will negotiate."

Thursday was the deadline for the nation's 1,152 commercial TV stations to declare whether they will invoke the retransmission consent clause or the "must-carry" provision. All three network affiliates in this area have notified Roger Harms, manager of the TCI cable system that serves about 13,000 subscribers in the Cape and Jackson area, they intend to invoke the retransmission consent clause.

That means there will have to be negotiations.

But officials of TCI, the nation's largest cable system, have made it clear they do not intend to pay to carry broadcast stations for a signal the public can receive for free with a home antenna.

"The bottom line is the last day they can carry us without our permission is Oct. 5," said Meagle. "Why should they pay for everything else they get, but they get our signal free? They are charging their customers for our signal."

Meagle noted that the consideration TCI Cable gives the stations for carrying their signal can take several forms.

Meagle said he hopes that TCI officials will eventually agree to negotiate and let good business principles prevail.

"We would hope that subscribers will call their cable system and tell them we are of value," added Meagle.