FOX TV YANKS DODGERS FROM LOCAL CABLE LINEUP.

Byline: Tom Hoffarth and Donna Huffaker Daily News Staff Writers

Fox TV has pulled Dodgers game broadcasts from 90,000 cable television subscribers in Burbank, Glendale and La Canada Flintridge, and customers of many other cable companies in the area may lose the games in a dispute over rates.

At 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Fox Sports Net West and Fox Sports Net West 2 cut off programming for Marcus Cable.

Now Charter, Media One, Comcast and Time-Warner, which serve most San Fernando Valley-area subscribers, are weighing whether to pay higher charges or leave subscribers Dodgers-less.

Fox wants more money from companies to broadcast 40 more Dodgers games than is called for in the contract, for a total of 80 this season. If cable companies don't pay, they'll get alternative Fox Sports Net programming during Dodgers and Angels games.

By Wednesday in Burbank and Glendale, withdrawal pangs already had set in.

``I feel like I'm being stepped on,'' said Virginia Muske, an 83-year-old Glendale resident and decades-old Dodgers fan. ``I'm so disgusted that I pay for this and I'm getting no satisfaction''

``I just want my Dodgers back,'' she added.

Marcus was bought last year by Charter Communications, owned by Portland billionaire Paul Allen. Instead of continuing to pay fees detailed in Marcus' contract, Charter paid a lower rate than its other Charter customers had been paying.

The difference? About pennies per customer per month, according to sources.

Fox officials warned Charter for several months that if the contracted Marcus rates weren't paid, to expect the switch to be turned off.

On Saturday, they then made good on the threat.

And on Sunday, U.S. District Court Judge Terry Hatter ruled in Fox's favor of Charter honoring the Marcus contract.

Marcus issued a statement saying it was merely trying to keep down fees for customers, while Fox is trying to cover player salaries and other costs.

``Fox is working hard to offset investments like Kevin Brown's $100 million-plus contract with the Fox-owned Los Angeles Dodgers and broadcast rights for the Super Bowl by raising rates and adding surcharges,'' said Tom Belcher, regional manager for Marcus Cable-California.

``We don't think it is in the customer's best interest to subsidize a broadcaster's lack of fiscal responsibility in bidding for rights to air sports events.''

Fox Sports West spokesman Steve Webster said cable rates and player salaries are ``completely unrelated'' and cited public grandstanding by Marcus.

The tug-of-war between Marcus and Fox reflects a widening dispute that could affect more San Fernando Valley cable TV customers.

Fox is asking cable firms for more money to cover Dodgers and Angels games added to this year's schedule.

The most recent contracts Fox signed with all Southern California cable operators promised 40 Dodgers games a year on Fox Sports West 2 and no Angels games on Fox Sports West. At the time, the Fox-Angels agreement was ending, and the Angels were ready to go to ESPN West, but that channel never got off the ground.

In January of this year, Fox announced 40 additional Dodgers games - boosting it to 80 telecasts. It also said 20 more Angels games would come with the 20 it already was going to deliver without the extra charge.

Unless cable operators pay Fox's added cost - again, what amounts to an extra 10 to 15 cents per customer per month - Fox says it won't deliver the games.

It's fairly common practice with cable channels, and cable operators usually relent because they can make more advertising money selling spots on live sporting events.

ESPN, for example, already had announced it will ask for a 20 percent increase from cable companies this fall to offset recent rights fees its parent company, Disney, paid for the National Football League and National Hockey League.

After July 6, Fox will have fulfilled its 40 Dodgers game commitment; as of Aug. 3, it will have carried 20 Angels games.

Gambling on what it feels is a pretty safe bet that viewers will want to continue watching the rest of the Dodgers' and Angels' pennant drives, Fox is hoping cable companies pay the extra money.

In fact, on Monday's broadcast of the Dodgers-Texas Rangers game on Fox Sports West 2, viewers were given a cryptic message urging people to call their cable operators to make sure they get the games. Fox also has bought TV and radio commercials to get the word out.

Marcus had paid and passed some of the cost along to customers. As of June 1, Marcus raised its rates by 93 cents per customer, which Belcher points out is only a 2.9 percent increase after Marcus absorbed most of the nearly 40 percent rate hike in Fox programming this year.

Fox also has received payment from Century, Cox and TCI as well as satellite service DirecTV. It has yet to receive commitments from Charter, Media One, Comcast and Time-Warner.

Burbank sports bar manager Vern Martin said although the dispute is between the cable company and a broadcasting company, he feels like he's right in the middle of it because it's affecting his business.

Pirates Cove routinely televises sporting events and all of the Dodgers home games - something his clientele looks forward to, he said.

``My customers like to come in here after work, have a few cold beers and watch the games. This feud means they have nothing to watch tonight,'' Martin said of Wednesday's Dodgers game.