FOR FCC RECORD ONLY
$//Letter to Frank Lloyd, DA 95-234//$
$//Cable Rate Regulation - approval of rate change//$
$//FCC Form 1210 approval/$

                     Federal Communications Commission
                           Washington, DC  20554

                             Feburary 14, 1995                    DA 95-234
                                               Released:  February 15, 1995


Frank W. Lloyd, Esq.
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

               Re:  FCC Form 1210 rate increases for Times-Mirror Cable
                    Television of Orange County, Inc. (d/b/a/ Dimension Cable
                    Services)

Dear Mr. Lloyd:

On January 19, 1995, Times-Mirror Cable Television of Orange County, Inc., d/b/a
Dimension Cable Services ("Dimension") filed with the Cable Services Bureau a request for
approval, on an expedited basis, of a proposed rate increase to its cable programming service
(CPS) tier as computed on FCC Form 1210.  In this request, Dimension states that the
increase is necessary due to Dimension's addition of new programming to the referenced
systems' CPS tiers over the last three months, and that Dimension intends to implement these
rate changes by March 1, 1995.  Because we found Dimension's rates to be unreasonable,
obligating it to pay refunds to its CPS subscribers, Dimension must obtain the Bureau's
approval before it may increase its CPS tier rate.  See FCC Form 1210, page 2.  This
requirement allows us to monitor subsequent rate increases, once we have found rates
unreasonable.

 
To date, we have undertaken a full review of Dimension's rates only for the period prior to
May 15, 1994, and have found those rates unreasonable.  Our review of the reasonableness
of Dimension's rates from May 15, 1994 to the present is currently underway.  With respect
to rates charged for the period beginning May 15, 1994, Dimension has filed FCC Forms
1200 and 1205.  Dimension's current request for approval of FCC Form 1210 is for
expenses incurred in the fourth quarter of 1994.  Dimension is requesting CPS tier rate
increases of $1.30 or $1.31, as well as increases in basic tier, converter, and remote charges. 
The CPS rate increase has three components: $.20 is due to changes in external costs; $.98 is
due to channels added under the new going forward rules; the remainder is due to inflation
adjustments. 

We have reviewed the Form 1210 filings before us, and find no patent defects.  We believe
that the impetus behind Dimension's request is to provide its subscribers with new
programming in the above-noted communities, and that approval of Dimension's instant
request will encourage this development.  Our permitting the requested increases is on an
interim basis only, and is subject to our determination of the reasonableness of Dimension's
CPS rates for the period beginning May 15, 1994, including subsequent changes to the rates
filed on Dimension's FCC Form 1200.  Thus, although we allow the requested increase for
new programming, the increased rate which Dimension may charge is potentially subject to
refund if our review of Dimension's FCC Form 1200 and Form 1210 filings finds that
Dimension's underlying CPS rate is unreasonable.

                                   Sincerely,



                                   Meredith J. Jones
                                   Chief,
                                   Cable Services Bureau