Happy New Year, your rates are going up

When the glow of the holidays wears off and the credit card statements begin showing up, another fiscal reality isn't exactly what consumers need. But beginning next month, AT&T subscribers will be slapped with cable TV rate increases ranging from almost 5 percent to 6.5 percent.

AT&T says the cost of providing service, programming, technical upgrades and improving customer service has forced the rate hikes. Customers who receive the Standard Cable package will see rates rise by 4.3 percent within the next month. Subscribers whose channel lineups have expanded by three or more channels will be charged 6.5 percent more.

In other AT&T news, the nation's largest cable company will sell The Salt Lake Tribune to MediaNews Group for $200 million. The Tribune is Utah's largest newspaper, with circulation around 134,500. AT&T acquired the paper when it purchased TCI in 1999.