
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 9, 1994                   TAG: 9402090194
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: C8   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                 LENGTH: Short

BELL ATLANTIC ASKS ORDER BE UPHELD

Bell Atlantic Corp. has asked a federal appeals court to uphold a lower-court order that allowed the phone company to pursue video programming services in Virginia and other Mid-Atlantic states.

A hearing before a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was held Monday on an appeal filed by the U.S. Justice Department and the National Cable Television Association. They say allowing a prior decision to stand could enable Bell Atlantic to monopolize cable service.

Bruce G. Forrest, an attorney in the Justice Department's Civil Division, said the main risk in letting Bell Atlantic into cable is that it could subsidize its video programming operation with revenues from local phone customers.

"It could be unhealthy if you end up with what the Rand Corp. predicted," Forrest said, "and that is one wire into everybody's home."

Bell Atlantic's attorney, Laurence Tribe, said a prohibition on Bell Atlantic getting into cable would violate its right to free speech.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis of Alexandria ruled last August that a law that forbade local phone companies from offering cable and other video services inside their territory was unconstitutional. - Associated Press

by CNB