TCI HOLDS FIRM ON CABLE LINEUP CHANGES

Cable provider TCI has dropped plans to remove Chicago superstation WGN from cable television systems in five states, but the move will not affect lineup changes slated for Cape Girardeau and Jackson system.

Roger Harms, who manages the local TCI system, said plans to drop WGN effective Jan. 1 remain in place and that he doesn't believe the decision will be reconsidered.

There is also no change in TCI's dispute with local broadcast station KFVS-12. The CBS affiliate wants compensation in exchange for allowing TCI to carry its signal. TCI refuses to do so because KFVS provides its signal for free to viewers who don't have cable.

If no agreement is reached by Jan. 1, Harms said he'll "have no other choice" but to drop KFVS.

"KFVS has to give us permission to carry their signal and so far they have not done that," Harms said.

Earlier this month, TCI announced its intention to drop WGN from all of its systems nationwide. In response to negative consumer feedback, the company, the nation's largest cable television provider, announced Thursday that systems in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa will retain the channel.

WGN is the cable television home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs and White Sox and the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

The station is distributed outside of the Chicago area by UVTV of Tulsa, Okla. Dirk Tenzythoff, director of programming for UVTV, said TCI did not directly notify his company of plans to drop WGN.

"We actually found out from viewers," Tenzythoff said. "It was not the best way to find out."

UVTV provides WGN to approximately 40 million households and 14,000 cable systems -- including TCI systems. Tenzythoff said TCI's initial decision would have deprived approximately 7 million viewers of the channel. It was unclear how many TCI viewers are in the states spared the WGN cut.

TCI systems, including the Cape Girardeau/Jackson system, will continue to receive WGN's signal and have the option of airing selected programs -- such as the Cubs or Bulls games.

"There are some indications certain systems are interested in doing that," Tenzythoff said.

However, Harms said the local system is not one of them.

Limited channel space and the greater expense of superstations have been cited as the reasons for TCI's decision.

As a free, over-the-air broadcast station in Chicago, WGN has the right to air programs in its home market. However, when its signal is taken out of its broadcast region, copyright fees must be paid to those who hold the rights.

The fee, which Tenzythoff said amounts to less than 1 percent of each individual system's gross profits, is set in federal law and cannot be negotiated.

Cable providers are not required to pay such fees for national cable-only channels, such as ESPN or MTV, which do not have a specific home market, Tenzythoff said.

Negotiations with TCI continue and Tenzythoff thinks more TCI systems could keep WGN. "We talk with them as much as we can," he said. "Obviously, we would love to have them change their minds."

However, he admits that most TCI viewers will probably see the channel dropped.

"I'd say chances are poor that most markets would get it back," Tenzythoff said.

Tenzythoff added that if subscribers are unhappy with lineup changes, their best course of action is to contact their local cable system and register their displeasure.