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                            Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                      Washington, D.C. 20554


                                )
In the Matter of                )
                                )
  OPTEL, INC.,                    )CSR  4736-P
                                )
v.                              )
                                )
CENTURY SOUTHWEST CABLE         )
TELEVISION, INC.,               )
                                )
Joint Stipulation of Dismissal  )
                                )


                             ORDER

      Adopted:  December 17, 1996  Released:  December 20, 1996  

By the Chief, Cable Services Bureau:

      1.OpTel, Inc. ("OpTel") filed a Complaint against Century Southwest Cable Television,
Inc., ("Century") alleging that Century had denied OpTel access to Prime Ticket Networks, L.P.
("Prime Ticket") programming service pursuant to an exclusivity agreement that was not
grandfathered pursuant to 47 U.S.C.  548(h) and 47 C.F.R.  1002(e).  Alternatively, OpTel alleged
that Century had unreasonably refused to sell programming to OpTel in violation of 47 U.S.C.
 548(c)(2)(B).  Century filed an Answer and OpTel filed a Reply.

      2.Now OpTel, Century, and Prime Ticket, through their attorneys, have filed a request
for dismissal fashioned as a Joint Stipulation of Dismissal ("Joint Stipulation").  In their Joint
Stipulation, the parties request that the Commission dismiss OpTel's complaint with prejudice and
without costs.  Prime Ticket also requests that the Commission dismiss as moot its Motion for Leave
to File and Motion to Consolidate, or in the Alternative, for Leave to Intervene. 

      3.The Commission encourages resolution of program access disputes through
negotiations between the parties in an effort to avoid time-consuming, complex adjudication.  Such
a policy favoring private settlement and alternative dispute resolution conserves Commission
resources and is thus in the public interest.  

      4.We thus find that it is in the public interest to terminate this proceeding pursuant to
the stipulation submitted by the parties.

      5.Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Complaint of OpTel, Inc. against Century
Southwest Cable Television, Inc. IS DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE.  Prime Ticket's Motion for
Leave to File and Motion to Consolidate, or in the Alternative, for Leave to Intervene IS
DISMISSED as well.  This action is taken by the Chief, Cable Services Bureau, pursuant to authority
delegated by Section 0.321 of the Commission's rules.

     FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



     Meredith J. Jones
     Chief, Cable Services Bureau