Times Mirror, Cox Will Announce Cable Venture

Times Mirror Co. and Cox Communications Inc. are expected to announce details in New York today about two new cable services they will offer through a joint venture headed by Roger L. Werner, the former chief executive of ESPN and Prime Ticket Network, industry analysts said.

Werner was president of the two highly successful cable sports ventures during periods of remarkable growth. He headed ESPN from 1982 to 1990 and orchestrated the sale of Prime Ticket to Tele-Communications Inc. last year.

Both Times Mirror and Cox refused to comment, but analysts said Times Mirror is looking for an outlet for programming that dovetails with its magazines, which include Outdoor Life and Field & Stream, while Cox is trying to get more mileage from its 3.2 million cable subscribers.

Last year, the two companies announced a $2.3-billion merger of their cable operations under which Cox took over Times Mirror’s 1.3 million subscribers to become the country’s third-largest cable operator.

The two new services, starting as early as this summer, will be the first to be offered by a joint venture formed by the two companies.

One of the services is expected to concentrate on the outdoors, with segments on hiking, fishing and camping, and another, to be offered in early 1996, on motor sports, with features on motorcycles, flying and boating.