CABLE RATES: Ventura County cable providers responded...

CABLE RATES: Ventura County cable providers responded cautiously to the Federal Communications Commission’s order that cable television rates be slashed by 7%--on top of a 10% cut last April. (D1) The April cuts, aimed at reducing rates, in some cases did the opposite. . . . Ventura County Cablevision President David La Rue said it was too soon to assess the FCC’s decision. . . . Ventura’s Avenue Cable is awaiting a ruling on the fairness of its rates. “Any time there’s talk of revenue being reduced, it’s going to affect our ability to provide service,” said manager Stephen George.

IN TREATMENT: Chicago White Sox pitcher Scott Radinsky has returned to his home in Simi Valley after having a malignant lymph node removed from his neck. Radinsky, 25, will begin chemotherapy and radiation treatments that could last eight months. . . . The left-handed reliever played in 78 games last season and compiled an 8-2 record. He was a star pitcher at Simi Valley High, striking out 180 batters in 100 innings his senior season in 1986 (C1).

POWER SHIFT: Ventura County Supervisor Vicky Howard’s announcement that she will not seek reelection could signal a power shift on the board (B1) . . . . Howard’s surprise move, after Supervisor Maria VanderKolk’s decision not to seek a second term, leaves two seats open. VanderKolk often sided with Supervisor John K. Flynn. . . . “I think next year we’ll see a transformation of the leadership of the board,” Flynn said.

COMEDY SELLS: Comedy recordings are making a comeback in the form of CDs (F1). . . . “They’re definitely selling more than the cassettes,” said Brent Harding of the Record Outlet in Thousand Oaks. Hot sellers in Ventura County: the Jerky Boys, whose recordings of prank phone calls were popular on the underground circuit, and Saturday Night Live comedian Adam Sandler. . . . And old standbys such as Ray Stevens are still in demand, said Roman Spandrio of Salzer’s in Ventura.