CABLE ACT TAKES EFFECT; GET READY FOR CHANGES

The rules change today for 11,000 cable television operators as the provisions of the 1992 Federal Cable Act take effect. Cable customers should brace for a flurry of changes.

Some of these changes will be welcomed: Two-thirds to three-quarters of the nation's 58 million subscribers will see their monthly bill go down an average of 10 percent, estimates the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This cost reduction applies primarily to basic service.

On the other hand, the price of expanded basic service, premium channels and various service charges, such as installation, will rise in many systems, since these are not covered by the new rules. A few of the subsidized "extras" will be reduced. Subscribers will probably find that hooking up additional television sets or renting a remote control or converter box will cost less.

Future rate requests levied by cable companies will be limited by the FCC -- tied to inflation and some other costs.

One of the critical facets of this cable debate has yet to be ironed out. Cable operators and individuals TV stations have been at odds over retransmission fees. Many cable operators nationwide, including TCI, have made it clear they will not pay a per-subscriber or direct payment of any kind for the right to carry broadcast stations. In turn, many of the stations -- and networks -- have countered with flat refusals of dropping the retransmission fees.

There's little doubt the loser will be the cable customer.

We are hopeful both cable operators and broadcast stations will come to some kind of agreement. If not, cable companies should be prepared to lower the price of service without the broadcast channels, and the TV stations should be ready for diminished viewership.

We're encouraged by the fact that CBS -- one of the staunchest opponents to the free access -- has softened. Instead of direct payment, CBS and other networks now seem agreeable toward taking a cable channel for their signal. This could be a agreeable compromise for both sides.

These details must be ironed out by Oct. 6. We hope our regional network affiliates and TCI will reach agreement. Otherwise, both sides will surely suffer from customer displeasure.

WSIU, the local Public Broadcasting System affiliate in Carbondale, is not affected by the dispute. The cable act retransmission fees only apply to commercial stations. Fox has also worked out an agreement with TCI nationally that provides for allocation of another channel for a new Fox cable network.

More changes may be in store for cable systems across the country. The FCC regulations concerning the new cable act comprise more than 400 pages. It may be some time before the full impact of the 1992 federal cable act is felt. Then we'll know if the good intentions of Congress to control cable rates will translate into better service or simply more red tape.