By Clarence Cromwell
Now that purchase sale of South Bay CableVision by TCI is complete, residents of Los Gatos and Monte Sereno can expect some new cable programs and an effort by TCI to wire every school for cable service.
TCI announced closure of the purchase two weeks ago.
The entire lineup of shows to be added to TCI's slate hasn't yet been announced, but it will include the new Fox News Channel when it debuts Oct. 7.
Los Gatans aren't going to lose any of the programs they watch now, said TCI division director Valerie Castellana.
Schools will gain from the sale because the company will install a cable connection free at every school in its service area. TCI encourages schools to tune into daytime educational programs on many of the channels it carries through its "Cable in the Classroom" promotional efforts.
It's possible that rates will increase as a result of the sale.
"The whole operation is under evaluation," Castellana said.
Cable rates remain relatively stable because they're set by FCC formulas. But TCI is examining the rates South Bay adopted to see how they compare with the FCC formulas. No immediate change in fees is planned.
The FCC allows cable companies to raise rates when they add programming, as TCI plans to do. TCI rate increases customarily are added each year in June, Castellana said.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, October 9, 1996.
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