NEWS                                                   September
23, 1997


     STATEMENT OF MEREDITH J. JONES, CHIEF, CABLE SERVICES
BUREAU,  
             REGARDING PETITION BY CONSUMERS UNION AND CFA 
                             ON CABLE RATES

     The Commission today received a petition from the Consumers
Union and the
Consumer Federation of America regarding cable rates.  Last month
the Commission
received raw data from the cable industry in response to the
Commission's annual cable price
survey.  The price survey will give us the facts necessary to
better understand recent cable
rate trends and the petition filed today.

     The Commission reviews transfers of Commission licenses
owned by cable operators
to ensure that such transactions are in the public interest. 
None of the major transactions that
have recently been reported are currently before the Commission
for approval.

     Competition is clearly the best way to promote consumer
choice and reasonable prices
in the delivery of video programming.  Direct broadcast
satellite, wireless cable and other
alternative multichannel video programming providers are giving
consumers greater choice
than ever before.  As directed by Congress in the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, the
Commission will continue to promote competition and consumer
choice through its program
access and over-the-air reception device rules, and other
pro-competitive efforts.

     News Media contacts: Morgan Broman at (202) 418-2358 and
David Fiske at (202)
418-0500.

                                  - FCC -