Regional Cable TV Service Will Offer 35 Dodger, 35 Angel Games This Year

A new regional cable television channel will go on the air in Southern California in April and offer 35 Dodger and 35 Angel games.

The new channel will be similar to the Prime Ticket Network except that it will cost subscribers a monthly fee, probably around $19.95. Prime Ticket, which carries the Lakers and Kings and other sports, is offered to subscribers at no charge.

According to Joe Cohen, chief executive officer for the Hughes Television Network, the Dodgers and Angels have made a multiyear deal with the American Spectacor Television Programming Co., a Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company.

American Spectacor owns the Hughes Network, as well the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and the Philadelphia Spectrum.

American Spectacor also operates six other major arenas and, along with MCA, is bidding to take over management of the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

Cohen said the new channel will also offer movies. He said further details will be announced later.

For the past three seasons, Dodgervision, first owned by Metromedia and then Fox Broadcasting, televised between 20 and 25 home Dodger games on a pay-per-view basis. Two seasons ago, Angelsvision, a branch of Dodgervision, televised six home Angel games on pay per view.

Angelsvision was dropped after the 1986 season, and now Dodgervision has gone by the wayside. Sources said American Spectacor will pay the Dodgers and Angels each $3.5 million per year, or $100,000 per game, in television rights. American Spectacor is also said to be close to a $100,000-a-game deal with the Clippers and is also in negotiations with USC and UCLA for coverage of football, basketball and various other sports.