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SHORT TAKES : Cost of Basic Cable Up 10%

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<i> From Times Wire Services </i>

Basic cable television rates rose 10% last year, according to a report to Congress that provided new ammunition Thursday for lawmakers bent on reimposing rate regulation on cable.

Cable subscriber rates for the lowest-priced and most popular cable services in 1989 increased, on average, from $14.50 to $15.95, the congressional General Accounting Office said.

That 10% gain was double the 4% to 5% rate of inflation for the year, said the GAO, which is the investigative arm of Congress.

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The average cable customer’s total cable bill went up 5% in 1989, from $25 to $26.36, the GAO said.

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