Wireless Cable TV in Area Moves Closer to Reality : Media: Cross Country says it has leased more than 30 channels for a network in Orange and L.A. counties.

Moving closer to creating a wireless cable TV network in Orange and Los Angeles counties, Cross Country Wireless said Tuesday that it has leased more than 30 channels in the area.

The channels, which have been leased from universities and other educational institutions, would be broadcast to homes with special, rooftop antennas. Because a wireless operator’s equipment costs are lower, its programming can undercut conventional prices for HBO, MTV or CNN by 15% to 30%.

The leased channels currently carry academic courses--what schools call “distance learning.”

Cross Country has worked out a deal for channels from Cal State Fullerton and other California State University campuses, the Pasadena Unified School District and Intelecom, a consortium of 42 community colleges from Bakersfield to San Diego. Among the community colleges are Saddleback College, Rancho Santiago College, Orange Coast College and four others located in Orange County.

In addition, the company said it has signed a letter of intent with the University of Southern California to lease its 10 channels. A USC official said an agreement should be reached by the end of July.

Cross Country proposes to build its main transmission tower atop Mt. Wilson, north of Pasadena. The construction would require approval of Los Angeles County officials.

Doug Lichvar, engineering director of USC’s ITV educational network, said three wireless cable companies were competing for the rights to lease its channels. Cross Country offered the most money, Lichvar said, and showed a track record of serving 42,000 homes in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Lichvar declined to say how much USC would receive from Cross Country. An agreement with five universities in the Cal State system calls for Cross Country to pay $100,000 a year plus at least 5% of future gross monthly revenue.

Cross Country said it plans to use digital compression technology to expand the number of channels it has leased. For example, Intelecom has broadcast rights for just one channel, said Bob Miller, director of development. But with compression, the one channel could be expanded by four to 10 times, depending on the complexity of the program being carried.