U S West Inc

U S West to Buy Cable Properties: U S West Inc. is expected to announce a $1.2-billion purchase today of two Atlanta cable TV companies from investor Robert Bass. With the purchase, U S West, which provides local phone service in 14 states in the West, will have access to 466,000 cable subscribers, a prime base to launch a competitive phone service in metropolitan Atlanta. The deal involves a stock swap merger with Wometco and a cash purchase with debt assumption of Georgia Cable Television.

The Federal Communications Commission barred regional Bell companies US West Inc. and Ameritech Corp. from marketing long-distance service on behalf of upstart carrier Qwest Communications International Inc., saying the Bells' arrangements to collect fees for referring their local customers to Qwest violate the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Under the act, Baby Bells may not offer long-distance services directly until they open their local networks to competitors.

U S West Inc., the Colorado-based regional telephone company that also owns a cable television empire, said Monday that it plans to split itself into independent telephone and cable companies. The split is an acknowledgment by U S West that the advantages of having telephone and cable television operations under one roof didn't materialize.

Southern New England Telecommunications Corp. said 6,300 workers, or 68% of its work force, walked off the job at Connecticut's largest phone company as contract talks with the Communications Workers of America broke down. . . . Meanwhile, the CWA resumed negotiations with US West after a federal mediator ordered the two sides to do so. About 34,000 US West workers have been on strike since Aug. 16 after contract talks broke down.

The Federal Communications Commission barred regional Bell companies US West Inc. and Ameritech Corp. from marketing long-distance service on behalf of upstart carrier Qwest Communications International Inc., saying the Bells' arrangements to collect fees for referring their local customers to Qwest violate the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Under the act, Baby Bells may not offer long-distance services directly until they open their local networks to competitors.

Southern New England Telecommunications Corp. said 6,300 workers, or 68% of its work force, walked off the job at Connecticut's largest phone company as contract talks with the Communications Workers of America broke down. . . . Meanwhile, the CWA resumed negotiations with US West after a federal mediator ordered the two sides to do so. About 34,000 US West workers have been on strike since Aug. 16 after contract talks broke down.

Time Warner in Phone Talks: New York-based Time Warner Inc. is talking with several telephone companies, including U S West Inc. of Denver, in the media-entertainment firm's continuing effort to find partners for expansion, a published report said. Neither Time Warner nor U S West would comment on the report in the Wall Street Journal, calling the story speculation. Denver-based U S West is the "Baby Bell" phone company for the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states.

U S West Inc., the Colorado-based regional telephone company that also owns a cable television empire, said Monday that it plans to split itself into independent telephone and cable companies. The split is an acknowledgment by U S West that the advantages of having telephone and cable television operations under one roof didn't materialize.

U S West to Buy Cable Properties: U S West Inc. is expected to announce a $1.2-billion purchase today of two Atlanta cable TV companies from investor Robert Bass. With the purchase, U S West, which provides local phone service in 14 states in the West, will have access to 466,000 cable subscribers, a prime base to launch a competitive phone service in metropolitan Atlanta. The deal involves a stock swap merger with Wometco and a cash purchase with debt assumption of Georgia Cable Television.

Bells Ask to Offer Long-Distance Wireless: Seven regional Bells, including U.S. West Inc., asked for relief from rules that restrict them from providing wireless long-distance services, the company said. In a filing with U.S. District Judge Harold Greene, the Baby Bells asked for a waiver to the 1982 consent decree that broke up AT&T and created the Bells but restricted them from manufacturing and providing long-distance services.

About 35,000 more telephone workers struck in five states, bringing to 21 the number of states with work stoppages at so-called "Baby Bell" companies. Negotiators for 83,000 workers were still working to prevent additional strikes in 19 other states. Striking were workers for Ameritech in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Talks were continuing with Missouri-based Southwestern Bell Corp, with 41,000 CWA union members in five states--Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.