TCI ANNOUNCES CHANNEL CHANGES JAN. 1

Tele-Communications Inc., which provides cable television service in Jackson and Cape Girardeau, has announced it will drop WGN, VH-1 and the Comedy Channel from its expanded basic lineup Dec. 31, and replace them with the Animal Planet and Cartoon Network.

WGN, a Chicago-based superstation that carries Chicago Cubs baseball, was dropped by TCI nationally.

TCI, which is based in Colorado and reaches 14 million people, said it lacks the "shelf-space" to carry WGN.

Beginning Jan. 1, TCI is increasing rates nationally and replacing WGN and some other stations with four new cable networks, some of which TCI partly owns.

TCI spokesperson LaRae Marsik said the company, which sent WGN to 7.3 million customers, based its decision on a cost-benefit analysis and customer interest. The company felt WGN's programming replicated other general-interest programming TCI offers.

That hasn't stopped the howls of many cable subscribers, particularly in Illinois and Iowa. Marsik acknowledged TCI has received hundreds of complaints.

Michael Maguire, chairman of the Cape Girardeau Cable Television Citizens Committee, said the city has no control over cable programing or cost of service; therefore he could not comment on TCI's programing changes as a member of the committee. But as a 10-year cable customer he said he is not happy with the way TCI was handling the changes.

"TCI has talked a lot about how they're changing to be a good neighbor," Maguire said. "If they want to be a good neighbor why don't they provide a list of options and let their customers decide which channels they would prefer?"

Maguire said he talked to Cape Girardeau TCI manager Roger Harms Tuesday and he declined to tell him what other channels TCI could have provided besides the Animal Planet and Cartoon Network.

Harms said the station decided to drop VH-1 and the Comedy Channel, which do not have large audiences, in favor of programming that would provide more variety to their lineup.

"When we go through the channels it's like a grocery list," Harms said. "We have to decide if this product will enhance our viewership. The trend these days is for family viewing, and that's what these new channels target."

The Animal Planet is offered by the Discovery Channel and the Cartoon Network offers cartoons.

"I'm sure someone out there will be upset," Harms said. "There is always the possibility of bringing a channel back."

Cynthia Adams, a member of the city's Cable Television Citizens Committee and a cable customer, said she won't miss all the channels.

"WGN was one of their better channels, though," Adams said. "I never really watched VH-1 or the Comedy Channel, so it doesn't bother me at all that they're dropping them."

Superstations like WGN are more expensive for cable stations to carry, primarily because of copyright fees, Harms said. He said after the Chicago Bulls dropped WGN in favor of pay-per-view, WGN lost its value.

"There's the Fox Network, TNT and WTBS: All of these have virtually the same type of programing," Harms said. He said he didn't know if TCI owned any portion of the Animal Planet or the Cartoon Network.

Harms said the local TCI station will not participate in the national rate increase. But the station did raise its prices 21 percent on expanded basic service during the summer.

"So what TCI is doing is they're providing fewer channels, less choice, and we're paying more for it," Maguire said. "Also, if it is so cost-efficient to drop the superstations then why does the Jonesboro (Ill.) cable system carry three superstations in a much smaller market? So we're going to have less than Jonesboro."