SOVIETS TV SET ON U.S. CABLE

“Amerika,” ABC’s vision of a Russian occupation of the United States, will vie in many American homes with the Soviets’ self-image when a national cable channel airs Soviet TV the same week.

The Discovery Channel, which agreed Wednesday night to show 62 hours of Soviet TV from Feb. 15-22, said it was offering the Russian programs to its 14 million subscribers “to complement, not compete, with the ABC show.”

Discovery subscribers in all 50 states will have a chance to tune into what was described as typical Soviet TV fare that includes game shows, cartoons, rhythmic aerobics led by shapely comrades and in-depth documentaries on farm implements.

“Our mission is totally apolitical; it’s simply to bring the world into the living rooms of our subscribers,” said Discovery chairman John S. Hendricks. The pictures will come through Orbita Technologies, a New York-based satellite transmission company.

“You’ll see tremendous differences and humongous similarities,” said Orbita chairman Ken Schaffer, who has been watching Soviet TV for five years in his Manhattan penthouse. “It may be terrible television but it’s always great viewing.”

Manhattan Cable TV also planned to provide their 200,000 subscribers with a week of Soviet broadcasts starting April 6, said Fred Ciccone, programming director at Manhattan Cable.

Hendricks said the Discovery contract was contingent on an agreement with the Soviet Union that no “made-for-America” programs will be slipped in amid the regular shows and that subtitles explaining the general content of the shows will be allowed.

“Soviet TV has much to offer American friends,” said Boris Malakhov, a spokesman for the Soviet Embassy in Washington. “We have ballets, cultural shows and friendly, humane cartoons for children.”

The Discovery broadcast will be the first in what was hoped would be seven experiments nationwide with Soviet TV.

Only the news programs will be translated.

Hendricks said Discovery plans to poll its viewers after the week.