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

DATE: SATURDAY, December 10, 1994                   TAG: 9412130013
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: NEW YORK                                 LENGTH: Short

TCI SAYS TELECABLE PURCHASE OK'D

Tele-Communications Inc., the nation's biggest cable system operator, said this week it believes it has an agreement with federal regulators that should clear the way to complete its $1 billion-plus purchase of TeleCable Corp., a Norfolk-based cable company.

TCI Treasurer Bernard Schotters said he expects TCI and the Federal Trade Commission will sign the agreement soon and close the deal in January. The FCC will require that TCI sell some cable properties in Columbus, Ga., he said.

TCI and TeleCable each have systems in that area and the FTC was concerned that a merger would reduce competition, Schotters said.

Meanwhile, Schotters said talks between TCI and Viacom Inc. are set to resume next week.

He said the discussions, which include the possibility of merging Viacom's Showtime pay-TV channel with TCI's Starz and Encore movie channels, had been put on hold while TCI pressed its case with regulators for the TeleCable deal.

Unitl 1984, TeleCable was a division of Landmark Communications Inc. of Norfolk, which owns the Roanoke Times & World-News. Frank Batten Sr., chairman of TeleCable, also is chairman of Landmark. Both are privately owned.

On another matter considered by the FTC, Schotters said no decision appeared likely soon on the agreement by TCI and Comcast Corp. to acquire QVC Inc.

by CNB