In 1992, the church shut its cable venture, the Monitor Channel, causing hundreds of layoffs.

Most analysts do not expect the two new cable ventures to usher in an era of new building.

When it began four years ago, his cable venture, a unit of the News Corporation, was ridiculed by competitors and doubted by Wall Street.

In late June 1996, CBS bought out the network, marking its first cable venture.

Mr. Tow left to start his own cable venture in 1973.

Thus, cable ventures like Black Entertainment Television suggest - although they by no means insure - a somewhat more hopeful future for blacks on television.

The company said the gain resulted from increased pay television earnings, but was offset by start-up costs for Time Warner cable programming and international cable ventures.

Two other networks are looking at new cable ventures, although neither has a firm starting date.

Among the networks, only CBS has no plans for cable ventures that could give it an alternative to demanding a straight cash deal for retransmission rights.

Recently, she helped him establish Intermedia Partners VI for investing in cable ventures around the country.