Tci Communications

A $2,000 scholarship for a college freshman is being offered by Shoe City, a Baltimore-based athletic footwear and apparel chain, and TCI Communications, the city's cable television provider.Selection for the scholarship will be made by the Central Scholarship Bureau, a nonprofit city organization, and will be based on academic achievement, community involvement and financial need. The deadline for applications is April 30.Information: Central Scholarship Bureau, 410-415-5558.Books for third-graders to be collected at open houseSchool choirs and a jazz ensemble will entertain today at Department of Education headquarters while officials collect books for third-grade classroom libraries.

TOWSON -- The chairman of the Essex Community College business department was selected unanimously last night as chairman of the county's Landmarks Preservation Commission.Robert C. Scott replaces Ruth B. Mascari, who was ousted from the panel late last month. Scott was among eight new members appointed to the commission in July by County Executive C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, who said he wanted a balance between historic preservation and economic development interests.The citizen panel is charged with reviewing developmentproposals that could have an impact on historic properties.

Television viewers in parts of Baltimore were shut out for most of the crucial fourth game of last night's World Series between the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves because of technical problems at cable-provider TCI Communications.For eight innings, customers in postal ZIP codes 21201, 21202 and 21223 in downtown and Southwest Baltimore were without cable service. A little after 11 p.m. -- with the Yankees ahead by three runs after a Jim Leyritz home run in the bottom of the eighth inning -- service was finally restored.

In Baltimore County Board of Education to vote tomorrow on spending plan TOWSON -- The county Board of Education likely will vote to approve a $744 million spending plan for the 2000-01 school year at a meeting tomorrow. During a recent budget hearing, school board members heard parents and teachers ask for more money to hire special education teachers and school counselors. School librarians requested more money to update high school libraries. School administrators recently added about $1 million to the proposed budget to cover personnel expenses and minority achievement initiatives that will cost $145,500.

Comcast Corp.'s cable television customers in Baltimore will continue to face monthly late fees of $5 - the same as customers in virtually every other part of Maryland - because of a state appeals court decision issued yesterday. An earlier ruling by a lower court had limited Comcast, and predecessor United Cable Television of Baltimore Limited Partnership, to a maximum, monthly late-charge assessment of 50 cents per subscriber. In September, however, the Baltimore City Circuit Court granted a company request to set aside that limitation, and lawyers representing cable subscribers appealed the decision to the Court of Special Appeals.

Comcast Cablevision is raising its rates for the second time this year, with a 10.6 percent boost in standard service that the company blamed mostly on the cost of adding new channels to its programming lineup.The increase will take effect Nov. 1 and will raise the price of Comcast's full standard service to $30.22 a month from $27.33 in areas where Comcast has installed its upgraded fiber-optic based system, said Jaye Gamble, area vice president for Comcast's Maryland operations.The increase will affect all of Baltimore County and most of Harford and Howard counties.

TCI Communications of Baltimore, the city's sole cable television provider, is stepping up its effort to attract customers for its new digital cable service.The company touts its digital product as a way to give customers a slew of new channels and offerings, such as lockout features that parents can use to prevent their children from watching certain channels.TCI of Baltimore officially began offering digital service to a limited group of subscribers at the end of February.However, burdened by a move of its headquarters and a change in its billing system, it has waited until now to pitch the service to a broader audience.

David H. Nevins has left the public relations firm he founded 16 years ago to become president of the Home Team Sports network, his company's largest client. Comcast Corp. recently purchased HTS with the intention of beefing up its programming lineup to include more news and talk shows. "Every once in a while an opportunity comes along that falls into the category of once in a lifetime," he said yesterday. "Our clients love us and we love them, but having said that, Comcast ... came to me with an opportunity that seemed just incredibly intriguing."

Sixteen Baltimore firms were honored yesterday by Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke for their support of community organizations and the initiation of community service programs.The awards program, held at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, was sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Committee, the mayor's office and the Baltimore Development Corp."In honoring these businesses, we also pay tribute to the many others like them who, frankly, are the heart and soul of our city and its commerce," GBC President Donald P. Hutchinson told the audience.

You say you like WBFF, Channel 45's 10 p.m. newscasts, but wish you could watch them over dinner?As long as you don't mind changing the channel, that shouldn't be a problem.Beginning April 7, the same news folks you've grown to love and respect on Channel 45 will be putting together a 6: 30 p.m. newscast on WNUV, Channel 54.Both stations are managed by Sinclair Communications Inc. (which owns WBFF; Glencairn Broadcasting owns WNUV), thus making this unusual arrangement possible. And you thought their only connection was that 45 was simply 54 with the digits reversed!