L.A. Hooks Up With 26,000 Cable Types

The cable TV industry will gather in Los Angeles this week for its annual convention, and the challenges and opportunities posed by new digital technologies--and by new competition from telephone companies and satellite operators--will top the agenda.

The 26,000 cable operators and suppliers on hand for the show at the downtown Los Angeles Convention Center will be savoring their new found freedom from regulatory constraints. They will also celebrate the fact that after years of delays, the digital set-top boxes that deliver more channels and higher-equality sound and pictures finally seem to be ready. General Instruments is shipping the first bulk load this summer to cable systems.

Cable modems, which promise Internet access at up to 1,000 times the speed of regular telephone lines, will be a big topic too, even though such services won’t be available on a wide scale for several years.

There should be plenty of fireworks as the colorful Ted Turner, whose company owns Cable News Network, takes over as president of the National Cable Television Assn. He’s likely to take a jab or two at the bevy of new competitors angling for CNN’s business--particularly MSNBC, the all-news cable/online service that NBC and Microsoft will launch in July.

THIS WEEK

* Today: New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman will discuss the role of women in the Republican Party on the ONline Newshour. Questions must be received before noon Pacific time, and answers will be broadcast throughout the afternoon. https://www.pbs.org/newshour.

* Tuesday, 9 a.m.: Carol Bartz, CEO of software manufacturer Autodesk, talks about software development. CompuServe.GO CONVENTION.

* Tuesday, 6 p.m.: Actor William Shatner, best known for his role as Capt. Kirk on the old “Star Trek” TV series, takes your questions in a chat. America Online. Keyword: Centerstage.

* Wednesday: Bidding begins in the first Net-a-Thon, a charity auction expected to raise millions of dollars to buy computers and software for schools. Bidding continues through May 16. https://www.NETI.org

* Thursday, 6 p.m.: Pop singer Randy Newman talks about his career. Prodigy.Jump:CHAT.

ON THE NET

* The Dodgers have a new Web site, featuring 3-D tours of Dodger Stadium, multimedia baseball areas and interviews. Portions of the site are available in Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and English. It is at https://www.dodgers.com/

* With the NBA playoffs underway, basketball fans can e-mail questions to players, participate in polls and see which games will be on TV at https://www.nba.com

* If you need directory assistance Internet-style, visit Switchboard athttps://www.switchboard.com. Just type in the name (and location if you know it) of the person or business you’re looking for, and there’s a reasonable chance Switchboard will find it. The addresses and phone numbers come from phone books and other public records.

* For a different take on the presidential race, visit https://www.salvo.com. There are wry descriptions of the candidates and links to political parties’ Web sites. Keep up on major issues by reading the Daily News Bite, then speak your mind in the Diatribe Dingeon.

* For a behind-the-scenes look at how computers are helping inmates in the California Youth Authority communicate with the outside world, visit Simple Things:Letters From Juvenile Hall (https://home.earthlink.net/’ned). Read letters written by young inmates and tour a juvenile hall.