Hts

Orioles owner Peter Angelos and Abe Pollin, owner of the Washington Bullets and Capitals, have held talks with Fox and TCI, the nation's largest cable TV operator, about creating a new regional cable channel that would either supplant or cripple Home Team Sports.The two owners, whose teams occupy the majority of programming on HTS, would take their teams' games to a channel operated by TCI and Fox.Bethesda-based HTS, which has carried Orioles games since its inception in 1984, would have the right to match the Fox/TCI offer under the terms of its contracts with the three clubs.

At Metrodome, MinneapolisDay .. ..Time .. .. ..TV ... .. .. ... .. .. ...StartersTonight .8: 05 p.m. ..HTS .. ..Rocky Coppinger (5-2, 5.70) vs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Frankie Rodriguez (10-7, 5.10)Tomorrow 8: 05 p.m. ..HTS .. ....Mike Mussina (11-8, 5.24) vs... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Brad Radke (6-13, 4.93)Thursday 1: 15 p.m. ..54,50 .. ...David Wells (7-10, 4.75) vs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...Rich Robertson (4-9, 4.91)Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM) and WTOP (1500 AM)

At Oriole Park at Camden YardsDay .. .. .. ..Time .. .. .. .TV .. .. .. .. .StartersTonight .. .. .7:35 .. .. ...HTS .. .. ..Roger Pavlik (9-1, 5.01) vs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Scott Erickson (3-5, 5.79)Tomorrow .. .. 7:35 .. .. ...13, 50 .. ..Darren Oliver (5-2, 3.86) vs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Kent Mercker (3-5, 6.79)Wednesday .. ..7:35 .. .. ...HTS .. .. ..Bobby Witt (6-5, 6.05) vs... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Mike Mussina (9-3, 5.13)Radio: All games on WBAL (1090 AM)

A plan by the city to sell the police helicopter fleet to a private company is being questioned by the pilots and police union officials, who say the cost-cutting move would compromise public safety."

Baltimore sports fans clamored for years for their cable operators to place Home Team Sports on a basic lineup, rather than as a premium channel, and they appear to be taking advantage now that the area's two biggest systems, TCI and Comcast, have complied.HTS officials report that Orioles ratings are booming in the Baltimore region this season, thanks to the combination of the team's fast start and the more than 300,000 additional homes the channel's signal now appears in.As an example, last Wednesday night's Orioles-Boston game on HTS did a 10.5 cable rating in the Baltimore area, the highest of the season and third-highest Orioles rating of all time, and virtually double what the Bethesda-based channel was getting for Orioles games at this time last year.

In what is becoming par for the course these days, someone else rethought his decision to retire from the athletic arena yesterday, but, for a change, it wasn't an aging player trying to recapture days of glory.Instead, it was CBS' lead golf analyst, Ken Venturi, who had planned to leave the 18th tower after this season -- his 28th with the network -- but was talked into staying for at least two more years by network officials."I'll tell you what, I think it was one of those non-reluctant decisions.

The last domino has fallen and cable-subscribing baseball fans all across the Baltimore region will be able to see the Orioles without paying premium fees.That's because TCI Communications, the city's cable franchiser, will make the Home Team Sports signal a part of its expanded basic package, beginning April 1, which just happens to be Opening Day.Officials at TCI deferred comment to an official announcement later in the month, though subscribers should receive official notice in their March billings.

HTS unfairTo date, the only justification offered by HTS for the blindsiding of local hero John Lowenstein is his time removed from the game. Excuse us? Today's owners seem hellbent on destroying the traditions that are baseball, but the game has not really changed that radically since Dr. Longball last made a house call to 33rd Street.HTS has said that subscriber input will not affect its decision. Then again, Paul Tagliabue told us to build a museum because the NFL game would never again be played here.

The Jan. 2 phone call from Home Team Sports general manager Jody Shapiro to John Lowenstein, informing the former Orioles outfielder that his services as an analyst on the channel's baseball telecasts would no longer be desired, caught him like a fastball to the noggin, and he still hasn't recovered from the blow."

While driving home one night last week, Bill Brown, Home Team Sports' director of programming and executive producer, heard something on a local talk show that made him chuckle.The host, a guest and a caller were speculating on the future of former Orioles pitching coach Mike Flanagan and tossing out a ** few scenarios, all of which Brown knew to be untrue, because he had just hired Flanagan back as an analyst in the HTS booth for Orioles games next season."I'm rolling my eyes, saying, 'You guys are going to be surprised when you hear this one,' " said Brown yesterday.