Cable firm to preserve discounts

When Time Warner Cable subscribers open their bills this month, some will take a deep breath. Others will ponder switching to satellite. Subscribers in Lenexa, Shawnee and other areas where Time Warner is competing with Everest Connections, however, may wind up scratching their heads. Their special rates don't appear anywhere in the annual notice. Time Warner Cable, which serves more than 300,000 area homes, included its 2003 rates with December monthly statements. Those rates will jump about 5 percent for basic cable and 7.6 percent for digital cable, in line with other cable systems around the country. But many customers who currently have their bills discounted will continue to be charged lower rates, said Marc Farrar, director of public affairs for Time Warner Cable. Federal law requires cable providers to publish their maximum possible rates in annual notices to customers, Farrar said. Meanwhile, customers often receive discounts, such as a half-price introductory rate for customers who agree to try digital cable. "We are certainly going to honor any promotions," said Farrar. Customers with the beat-Everest rate enjoy monthly discounts up to $30 on their cable bills. Those will continue after Jan. 1, when the published 2003 rates take effect. Comcast Cable, which serves 100,000 customers in Missouri and Kansas, announced a 6 percent increase of its basic cable rates in August. With the recently concluded Comcast-AT&T Broadband merger, Comcast becomes the 50 percent "silent partner" in Time Warner Cable of Kansas City. An Everest Connections spokesman said the company has no plans to increase its residential rates. To reach Aaron Barnhart, call (816) 234-4790 or visit the TV Barn Web site at www.tvbarn.com.