2 Cable Court Channels Are Expected to Merge : Media: The competing services were having difficulty signing up local systems.

Two new cable TV channels that propose to telecast live courtroom trials are expected to announce a merger today, sources close to both companies said.

The two planned channels--”In Court” from Cablevision Systems Corp. and “The American Lawyer Media Channel” from a partnership between Time Warner Inc. and American Lawyer magazine--have been struggling since early this year to sign up local cable systems.

But the launch for both of the new services has been repeatedly delayed because of limited channel availability on local cable systems and financial and regulatory pressure on the cable TV industry.

Cable system operators, seeking to avoid another costly battle that hurt the recent launch of two competing comedy channels, are urging the backers to merge their planned services.

Both of the channels have planned to telecast live courtroom dramas from the 44 states that permit television coverage of trials and appellate hearings. “In Court” had hired actor E. G. Marshall as host, and American Lawyer had retained Fred Graham, a former CBS News and New York Times legal reporter, as its principal anchor.

Each of the backers is believed to have budgeted millions of dollars to launch its service. Details of the expected merger could not be learned, but one report said the merged channel would be managed by the Time Warner interests.

Although neither channel is yet on the air, both nevertheless have been taping such headline-making trials as the Robert Mapplethorpe obscenity case in Cincinnati, the 2 Live Crew trial in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the Central Park Jogger case in New York.

Besides telecasting live coverage of trials, both channels had planned to augment their programming with commentary and even call-in programs so viewers could speak with legal experts. “In Court” said it also wanted to cover local bar association meetings.

Neither channel has disclosed how many cable systems or subscribers it has been able to sign up. In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to launch new advertiser-supported cable channels without giving cable systems an ownership stake in the enterprise.