COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

TCI in Talks to Carry News Corp. News Channel: The talks between Tele-Communications Inc. and the Rupert Murdoch-owned company could include TCI getting a 20% stake in the planned news channel. Sources said no decision on equity has been reached, but News Corp. hopes to get significant distribution of its 24-hour news channel on the nation’s largest cable-system operator. Murdoch is offering cable-system operators $10 per subscriber to carry his Fox 24-hour news channel. Not carrying the channel could be considered anti-competitive since TCI is a major stockholder in Turner Broadcasting System Inc., the owner of Cable News Network. The agreement would help TCI expand its broadcasting interests and gain closer ties to News Corp., which has a global reach.