MEDIA & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Outdoor Recreation Cable Channel to Be Expanded: Cox Communications Inc., Comcast Corp., Times Mirror Co. and Continental Cablevision Inc. said they plan to increase the audience for their joint 24-hour cable channel about outdoor recreation and conservation. Outdoor Life Network will be launched nationwide early next year. It’s been available since July in certain regions. The program is currently broadcast to 1.4 million households and is expected to be broadcast to 6 million by the end of 1996, said Jane Eagleson, an Outdoor Life Network spokeswoman. Cox, Comcast and Continental own equal shares in the network; a smaller interest is held by Los Angeles-based Times Mirror, owner of the Los Angeles Times and other communications companies. Next year, the three bigger partners will buy out Times Mirror and own equal stakes in the venture, Eagleson said.