The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
36°F
Current Conditions
Overcast clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

More Cost, More Channels For Liberty Lake Cable TV

Grayden Jones Staff writer

Liberty Lake residents will pay a higher rate for basic cable television service beginning Jan. 1, but they will get more channels and a drop in the cost of premium channels.

Community Cable Service, which delivers cable TV to 1,100 subscribers around Liberty Lake, said it will boost subscription rates $2 per month to $27.36, including taxes and fees.

At the same time, the price of such premium channels as HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and Disney will drop. Price reductions range from 20 cents to $1.45 each.

The Disney Channel will drop from $5.15 to $4.95 per month; HBO, from $9.98 to $8.95.

“Our largest competitor is direct-broadcast satellite,” said Martin Howser, general manager and owner of Community Cable. “For years, premium channels have been paying the freight for cable operators. So we’re trying to bring down the cost to those who are heavy users of cable by repackaging our pricing.”

Basic cable customers also receive something for their extra $2, Howser said. They recently began receiving ESPN News, TV Land, Home & Garden, Northwest Cable News and five other new channels. Inspiration Network, MOR Music and others were dropped.

The net change for Community Cable customers was an increase of about four channels, Howser said. Basic cable currently has a total of 61 channels.

Tele-Communications Inc.’s pending takeover of Cox Cable Spokane, the largest cable provider in the county, will have little effect on Community Cable subscribers, Howser said.

However, Howser said he will ask TCI for a link to get public access Channel 5, which shows city council and county commission meetings, and some educational channels.

Cox in the past had refused to provide those channels to Community Cable despite the fact that Liberty Lake customers paid a franchise fee to the county, Howser said.

Liberty Lake is one of 10 cable systems owned by Community Cable. The company has a total of 4,400 Washington customers in Tekoa, Ione, Metaline, Ritzville, Lind, Odessa, Kahlotus, Connell, Warden and Liberty Lake.

, DataTimes