A few cable stations largely unavailable in the Baltimore area or scheduled to be launched in the next year or so:

* Americana Network: Original programming, documentaries and videos on American musical styles ranging from bluegrass to blues, country to gospel, jazz to folk.

* The ECO Channel: Headquartered in Ellicott City and scheduled to go on the air toward the end of the year; will feature fiction and nonfiction TV with an environmental theme.

* The Employment Channel: Where to find a job, how to keep a job and what's happening in the job market.

* EWTN: The Catholic Cable Network: Billed as America's largest religious cable network. Includes talk shows, weekly series and documentaries.

* The Game Show Channel: A showcase for "TV's greatest game shows," including Jeopardy! and Family Feud. Fifty different game shows in all, plus original and interactive programming. Should begin broadcasting by the end of the year.

* Home & Garden Television Network: "Home Improvement" without Tim Allen. Twenty-four hours of home repair and remodeling, decorating, gardening and home electronics. Scheduled for the fall.

* The International Channel: News and entertainment programming from China, Japan, Korea, the Middle East and Europe.

* Television Food Network: Twenty-four hours of food, fitness, health and nutrition.

* U Network: Student-produced programming and selected independent programming geared to a college audience.