`CABLE IN THE CLASSROOM': CABLE DRIVE NETS SCHOOLS EQUIPMENT

Community donations from TCI Cablevision of Missouri Inc.'s June "Cable in the Classroom" campaign netted $1,227.60.

The money was used to purchase two televisions and four VCRs for local schools.

"Video equipment donations are a great way to help our schools take full advantage of the educational programming available on cable," said Roger Harms, local cable manager.

"Channels such as CNN, C-Span and The Discovery Channel offer a wealth of information to teachers, but you've got to have more than one TV and VCR in each school to really incorporate these programs into the classroom," he said.

To be eligible to receive a portion of the money raised by the local cable company through special installation fees, schools filled out applications demonstrating a need for the equipment.

Based on the dollars raised, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce then helped TCI determine how the TVs and VCRs purchased at a special rate from the QVC cable shopping channel should be distributed.

Schools slated to receive the equipment are the Cape Girardeau p ublic schools, Notre Dame High School and Trinity Lutheran School.

"I'd like to thank the community and our customers who made these donations possible," Harms said. "I think we all agree that helping our teachers reach today's students is one of the most important things we can do for our community and our country."

Tele-Communications Inc., parent company of TCI Cablevision of Missouri, is a member of "Cable in the Classroom," a group of cable programmers and operators dedicated to the creative and innovative use of quality cable programming for education.

Seventy TCI cable systems in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin participated in the campaign, raising a total of $116,500. The money allowed TCI to purchase about 550 televisions and VCRs for schools in the eight-state region, Harms said.