They must pay higher cable prices yet have few competitive choices.

That is unfortunate, because the merger might well lead to higher cable prices and a smaller choice of programs.

Other trackers of cable prices, however, show different figures.

The other 14 systems offer a basic cable price and group the cable network channels into tiers.

Congress, which is weighing legislation to rein in cable prices, has shied away from the issue.

In 1984, Congress passed a law deregulating cable prices (even forbidding local governments from setting rates).

Once the bill's provisions took effect in 1987, cable prices around the country began rising rapidly.

In the last six years, cable prices have doubled and tripled in many areas.

President Bush fulfilled his vow today to veto a bill that would regulate cable prices, saying it benefited special interests rather than the public.

There have been myriad attempts to study the potential consequences of unbundling on cable prices.