TV & VIDEO - May 3, 1989

While speaking of peaceful coexistence with NBC’s new cable network, CNBC, the president of the rival Financial News Network nonetheless disputed Tuesday the number of subscribers that CNBC said it had when it began operations April 17. FNN chief David Meister told reporters in New York that after looking at the newcomer’s work for several weeks, he feels that “CNBC is really not trying to compete with us.” He also said FNN’s research shows that CNBC is in only about 5.3 million homes, not the 13 million homes it claims. NBC’s response: “We stand by our (subscriber) figures and are confident they will grow.”