General Instrument Splitting Up Company

Chicago-based General Instrument Corp., a maker of cable boxes and one of the developers of high-definition television technology, said it will split into three public companies: NextLevel Systems Inc., a supplier of systems and components for computer networks; CommScope Inc., a manufacturer of coaxial cable and supplier of electronic cables; and General Semiconductor Inc. The restructuring will cost between $55 million and $65 million, or about 37 cents to 44 cents a share, in its fiscal fourth quarter and $50 million to $70 million the next fiscal year. Excluding those costs, it said, it expects earnings of 28 cents to 32 cents a share for the fourth quarter.