TCI LAUNCHES STARZ APRIL, CHANGES THE CHANNEL LINEUP

Starz!, a premium cable network featuring first-run releases, has been added to the lineup of TCI cable of Cape Girardeau.

Starz! will be available on Channel 22, with a free preview from April 1-15.

As part of the new offering, several of the channels will be relocated. Lifetime will be moved to channel 17. The Weather Channel will move to channel 20, Headline News to channel 21 and Showtime will be on channel 40. Showtime customers will require an addressable converter box to receive this channel after April 1.

Roger Harms with TCI said Starz! will be packaged with Encore (Channel 14), a movie service featuring moves of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s for a monthly fee of $4.95.

Each month, Starz! will feature about 120 choices, of which 30 will be new to the network, as well as an average of two exclusives like "Scent of a Woman," and "Jungle Fever."

Starz! features movies from Universal Studios, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Carolco Pictures, new Line Cinema, Miramax, Fine Line Cinema and others.

"At a time when cost deters potential customers, we are very pleased to provide the level of quality entertainment that the Starz!/Encore combination offers our subscribers at such an affordable price," said Harms.