Cable Subscribers to See Rates Drop but They May Lose Some Stations : Television: New federal regulations will lower fees for about 77% of custo- mers. Others will face an increase.

Tens of thousands of Antelope Valley cable television subscribers will see their monthly rates drop effective today, the result of sweeping federal regulations being imposed on the cable industry.

Jones Intercable, the Colorado-based cable television giant and the sole cable operator in much of this north Los Angeles County region, said about 77% of its 68,000 subscribers will see a decrease in their monthly bills as a result of the 1992 Cable Act. Higher fees will be charged to about 16,000 Jones Intercable customers, said John (Woody) Hutton, general manager of the company’s Antelope Valley operation.

The far-reaching cable reform bill was passed by Congress in October over the veto of then-President George Bush. The sweeping legislation represents congressional efforts to resume federal regulation of cable pricing after the 1986 deregulation of the industry.

The Federal Communications Commission established benchmark rates that are intended to bring cable fees to their Sept. 30, 1992, levels. The rollback is expected to save the nation’s 57 million cable subscribers a combined $1 billion annually, with individuals realizing an average savings of 3% to 5% monthly.

Customer fees are just one component of the 1992 Cable Act. The FCC earlier this year issued a 500-plus-page book of regulations dealing with everything from equal employment opportunities to customer-service standards to sales of cable systems.

While most Antelope Valley cable subscribers will see their rates for the service drop today, potentially the most significant change resulting from the federal regulations could come in October if Jones Intercable takes several Los Angeles-based broadcasters, such as KCBS Channel 2, off its system.

Los Angeles-area television signals can not be picked up without cable in nearly all of the Antelope Valley.

Through legislation in the 1992 Cable Act, broadcasters have the choice of being included on cable lineups through arrangements known as “must carry” agreements and “retransmission consent.” Through “must carry” a local television station may demand that it be carried by a local cable operator but is not paid anything by the cable company. Through the “retransmission consent” option, broadcasters negotiate for payment or other compensation from the cable operator before allowing their station to be picked up by cable.

Hutton said Jones Intercable has taken the position that neither it or its customers, who would ultimately pick up the tab, should have to pay for a broadcast that non-cable television viewers receive free. Broadcasters, conversely, argue that cable operators are willing to pay fees to air cable networks so should do the same to pick up their signals.

As of Tuesday Jones Intercable had only reached a retransmission agreement with KABC Channel 7. The cable company agreed to carry KABC’s cable sports network ESPN2 in exchange for carrying KABC. Negotiations are ongoing from the cable company’s Colorado headquarters with broadcast stations KCBS Channel 2, KNBC Channel 4, KTLA Channel 5 and KTTV Channel 11. KCAL Channel 9 and KCOP Channel 13 opted for “must carry” agreements so they will appear on Jones Intercable in the Antelope Valley.

If the FCC-established Oct. 6 deadline arrives without retransmission agreements with the four broadcasters, Hutton said Jones Intercable will turn their signals off and probably place some sort of message for viewers about the situation on the channels where the stations would otherwise be viewed.

“We extend their coverage significantly up here,” Hutton said of the Los Angeles-area broadcasters.