TCI TO FREE UP LOCAL ACCESS CHANNEL, ADD INTRO TELEVISION

TCI Cablevision will move C-SPAN to another channel, freeing up channel 5 so it can be used exclusively for local programs.

C-SPAN will be moved to channel 20 on Jan. 22. CNBC, which is currently on channel 20, will be moved to Channel 38.

Prior to that, on Dec. 31, the cable company will add INTRO Television on channel 37. The channel will offer a wide range of programming from about 30 cable networks.

More than a year ago, the council agreed to allow the cable operator to put C-SPAN on channel 5 on a temporary basis so room could be found for a Christian station out of Marion, Ill., which TCI is required to carry under the federal cable act.

The arrangement worked, although not without problems. Regular viewers of C-SPAN complained when sessions of Congress and other programs on government were preempted for local programs.

Cape Girardeau city officials and the local cable TV committee have repeatedly requested in recent months that the cable operator end the time sharing on channel 5.

"They are wanting the channel back and they've got it now," said Roger Harms, TCI's local manager.

He said the cable company made some "technical adjustments" to make the channel changes.

"We stretched it and stretched it and stretched it," Harms said Monday. It would be difficult to add any more channels without major improvements to the cable system, he said.

Michael Maguire, chairman of the local cable TV committee, welcomed the news.

The cable committee and the City Council are working to expand local programming. The city hopes to find a producer-programmer to run the access channel and see to it that local programs get aired.

Maguire said it is important for the access channel to be devoted entirely to local programs.

It isn't practical for C-SPAN to be on the same channel. "The people who watch C-SPAN are very devoted to that channel and they get upset when it is preempted," he said.

Mayor Al Spradling III also welcomed the news. But he said that freeing up the access channel won't automatically mean more local programs.

But Maguire said efforts by the city and the cable committee hopefully will encourage greater public use of the channel.

"The issue is why don't we have enough programming and what are we doing to utilize that resource," he said.

"It is our channel and it is our resource and unfortunately the attitude has been, for better or worse, let's just let it sit there and take care of itself," Maguire said.

"It is the only thing that we have absolute control over in terms of what we want to put on or not put on," he said.

Networks featured on INTRO Television

BET on Jazz

Bloomberg Information Television

Cartoon Network

Celtic Vision

Classic Sports Network

CNN Financial

CNN International

Country Music Television

Court TV

The Disney Channel

E! Entertainment Television

The Ecology Channel

FIT TV

The Military Channel

NET Political Newstalk Television

NewSport

NewsTalk Television

Nostalgia Television

Outdoors Motorsports Channel

OVATION

Planet Central Television

The BOX

The Learning Channel

The Music Zone

The Travel Channel

Turner Classic Movies

TV Food Network

Women's Sports Network

Z Music Television