Adelphia to Settle Claims by Firms

Adelphia Communications Corp., the fifth-largest U.S. cable television operator, agreed to pay $8.1 million to settle more than $1 billion in claims by entertainment companies that alleged their material was used without permission.

The companies, including Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures Corp., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., Sony Corp.’s Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., and Time Warner Inc., will withdraw their damage claims and related lawsuits, according to documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. The settlement requires court approval.

Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Adelphia was sued for allegedly failing to pay royalty fees to transmit the companies’ broadcast signals over Adelphia’s cable network for six months in 2002.