Lewis to Leave Warner Amex Cable Position

Drew Lewis plans to leave his job as chairman and chief executive of Warner Amex Cable Communications on April 1, a spokesman for the cable-TV company confirmed Monday.

Lewis, 53, who served as transportation secretary in President Reagan’s first Administration, was recruited to the top job at Warner Amex in February, 1983, and helped restore the company to financial health.

Warner Amex spokesman Burt Solomon said he could not comment on who would take Lewis’ place at the company.

Union Pacific Corp. spokesman Harvey Turner declined comment on news reports that Lewis would become chairman and chief executive at Union Pacific following the retirement of William S. Cook from those posts.

Turner said Cook would reach retirement age of 65 in September, 1987. He said Cook had not made any statement about retiring early.

Warner Communications, 50% owner of Warner Amex, agreed in August to buy out its equal partner, American Express, for $450 million. The cable-TV company has about 1.2 million subscribers, ranking it fifth in the industry.