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                                                                 EXHIBIT 10.1.24
 
                              VILLAGE OF MATTESON
                      CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE AGREEMENT
                                        
          This Agreement is made and executed by and between the Village of
Matteson, Cook County, Illinois (the "Village") and Cable TV Fund 15-A Ltd.,
doing business as Jones Intercable (the "Grantee").

          WHEREAS, the President and Board of Trustees of the Village adopted
Ordinance No. 1128, Being An Ordinance Amending the Code of Ordinances of the
Village of Matteson, By Adding Chapter 161, Entitled Cable Communications
Franchise Ordinance, which authorized the Village to enter into cable television
franchise agreements with cable television companies; and

          WHEREAS, the Village granted a non-exclusive franchise to construct,
own, operate and maintain a cable television system within the Village (the
"Cable System") pursuant to Ordinance No. 1129, dated February 1, 1982, to
Centel Cable Television Company of Illinois (the "Prior Franchise"), which
franchise was amended by Ordinance No. 1409, dated September 18, 1989; and

          WHEREAS, pursuant to Ordinance No. 1410, the Village approved a
transfer of the Prior Franchise to Jones Intercable, Inc., a Colorado
corporation; and

          WHEREAS, the Village consented to extend the term of the Prior
Franchise to July 7, 1997; and

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          WHEREAS, the Grantee has asked the Village to renew the nonexclusive
franchise it holds to provide cable service in the Village; and

          WHEREAS, the Village has reviewed Grantee's performance under the
Prior Franchise; has identified the future cable-related needs and interests of
the community; has considered the financial, technical, and legal qualifications
of Grantee; and has determined that Grantee's plans for constructing and
operating its Cable System in the Village meet the future cable-related needs
and interests of the community, and that Grantee has the financial, technical,
and legal qualifications to support Grantee's proposal; and

          WHEREAS, the Village has determined that, subject to the terms and
conditions set forth herein and the provisions of Matteson Cable Television
Franchise Ordinance No. 1678 ("Cable Ordinance"), the grant of a new
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nonexclusive franchise to Grantee, to supersede the Prior Franchise, is
consistent with the public interest; and

          WHEREAS, the Village and Grantee have reached agreement on the terms
and conditions of such a Franchise Agreement; and

          WHEREAS, the Village intends to authorize Grantee's continued
operation of its Cable System following expiration of the Prior Franchise.

          NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the faithful performance and strict
observance by the Grantee of all the terms set forth herein and those provided
for in the Cable Ordinance, pursuant to which this Agreement is executed, and in
consideration of the grant to the Grantee of the Franchise by the Village, the
parties agree as follows:

SECTION 1. GRANT OF FRANCHISE
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A.   The Village hereby grants to the Grantee a non-exclusive Franchise to
     construct, operate, and maintain a Cable Communications System within the
     public ways of the Village in accordance with the terms and conditions of
     this Franchise Agreement and the Cable Ordinance. The Franchise shall
     become effective on the date of acceptance by the Grantee in compliance
     with this Agreement and with the Cable Ordinance ("Effective Date"), for a
     period of ten (10) years. The Franchise shall expire ten (10) years from
     the Effective Date of this Franchise Agreement.

B.   Grantee hereby accepts the Franchise and agrees to abide by all the
     provisions of this Agreement, the Cable Ordinance, and other relevant
     regulations of the Village which are hereby incorporated by reference as
     though set forth in full.

C.   In the event of a conflict in the provisions of this Franchise Agreement
     and the Cable Ordinance, or other relevant regulations of the Village, the
     provisions of this Franchise Agreement shall control.

D.   Grantee hereby agrees that it has negotiated this Franchise in good faith
     and with due knowledge of its rights and responsibilities under relevant
     local, state, and federal laws.

SECTION 2. INCREASED CHANNEL CAPACITY AND INCREASED TERM
--------------------------------------------------------

A.   If Grantee, pursuant to Section 34 of the Ordinance, makes eighty-five (85)
     channels available by no later than thirty-six (36) months from the
     Effective Date of this Franchise, then the term of the Franchise shall be
     extended for an additional ten years (10), for a total franchise term of
     twenty (20) years.

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B.   If Grantee, pursuant to Section 34 of the Ordinance, makes eighty-five (85)
     channels available by no later than forty-eight (48) months from the
     Effective Date of this Franchise, then the term of the Franchise shall be
     extended for an additional eight (8) years, for a total franchise term of
     eighteen (18) years. 

C.   If Grantee, pursuant to Section 34 of the Ordinance, makes eighty-five (85)
     channels available by no later than sixty (60) months from the Effective
     Date of this Franchise, then the term of the Franchise shall be extended
     for an additional five (5) years, for a total franchise term of fifteen
     (15) years.

D.   If the Grantee, pursuant to Section 34 of the Ordinance, makes eighty-five
     channels available by no later than seventy-two (72) months from the
     Effective Date of this Franchise, the term of this Franchise shall remain
     at ten (10) years.

E.   The Village reserves the right to have an independent engineer or
     consultant audit the System to verify the completion of the changes made to
     the Cable System.

F.   Grantee shall have sixty (60) days to cure any failure to make increased
     channel capacity available required in paragraphs A - D. In the event
     Grantee cures such failure within this sixty (60) day period, Grantee's
     term shall be increased, as if Grantee had met the deadline specified.

SECTION 3. REVOCATION
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This Franchise shall be subject to immediate revocation by the Village, and the
Grantee shall have no right to forfeiture and termination procedures of Section
38 of the Cable Ordinance, if

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the Grantee has not made the option to receive eighty-five (85) channels
available by the end of seventy-two (72) months from the Effective Date of this
Agreement.

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SECTION 4. RETURN PATH
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Within one hundred and twenty (120) days from the date the Village relocates its
Village Hall from its current location to its new location (behind the police
department on the north side of 205th street, between Post Avenue and Corporate
Lakes Drive); Grantee shall relocate the existing Return Path to the new Village
Hall location to allow the Village to transmit video programming from the new
Village Hall location over Grantee's cable television system. Grantee shall pay
for the full construction costs for this Return Path. In addition, Grantee shall
be responsible for all maintenance costs related to the Return Path. Grantee
shall not be responsible for the provision or maintenance of any end-user
electronics to be used with the Return Path. The Village agrees that all amounts
paid by the Grantee for the construction of this Return Path may be added to the
price of basic cable service and collected from Grantee's subscribers as
"external costs," as such term is used in 47 C.F.R. 76.922, as it may from time
to time be amended.

SECTION 5. PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL ACCESS FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
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Grantee shall provide the Village with the public, educational and governmental
access equipment that is agreed to by the Village and Grantee pursuant to
separate agreement.

SECTION 6. INSTITUTIONAL NETWORK
--------------------------------

Grantee shall not be required to provide the Institutional Network provided for
in Section 34 of the Cable Ordinance.

SECTION 7. FRANCHISE FEES
-------------------------

Grantee shall not be required to include the franchise fee payments it receives
from cable subscribers as part of its gross revenue calculation, and thus pay on
these revenues as part of its

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franchise fee payment to the Village, until such time as all appeals have been
exhausted and a court of competent jurisdiction issues a final decision that
franchising authorities can collect on these revenues from cable operators.

SECTION 8. REVISITATION
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It is recognized that technology is rapidly changing and that subsequent to its
initial increase in channel capacity further modifications may be desirable to
incorporate changed technology or services. The Village or Grantee may determine
that a change in the terms of the Franchise is required to meet the needs and
interests of the community, that the System or Franchise requirements should be
updated, changed, or revised, or that additional services should be provided. If
any such change is determined to be economically feasible, the parties will in
good faith review the terms of the proposed change and agree to any necessary
amendment to the Franchise. Any determination of economic feasibility under this
section shall include an evaluation of Grantee's financial condition; economic
waste, if any, that would occur should the terms of the Franchise be changed;
length of term remaining on the Franchise; and rate of return on incremental
investment in the community to be derived from the additional services in which
the community is interested.

SECTION 9. SEPARABILITY
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Should any portion of this Agreement be declared invalid by a court of competent
jurisdiction, such adjudication shall not affect the remaining sections or
provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect.

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SECTION 10. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
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This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding and agreement between the
parties and supersedes any and all previous Agreements between the parties with
respect to the subject matter. This Franchise Agreement shall not be changed,
amended or supplemented except by an agreement in writing signed by both
parties. In the event of a conflict between this Franchise Agreement and the
Cable Ordinance or any other enabling ordinance, law or regulation in effect at
the time of this Agreement or thereafter, the terms and conditions of this
Franchise Agreement shall be controlling. If the Franchise Agreement is silent,
the Cable Ordinance and any applicable federal and state statutes shall govern.
The Village may from time to time amend the Cable Ordinance pursuant to its
lawful police powers; provided, however, such amendments do not serve to
appreciably impair the rights nor increase the obligations of the Grantee
pursuant to this Franchise.

SECTION 11. NO RECOURSE
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A.   Except for action seeking equitable relief, Grantee shall have no recourse
     whatsoever against the Village for any loss, cost, expense or damage
     arising out of any provisions or requirements of this Agreement or because
     of the enforcement thereof by the Village, or for the failure of the
     Village to have authority to grant all or part of the franchise.

B.   Grantee expressly acknowledges that in accepting a Franchise it does so
     relying on its own investigation and understanding of the power and
     authority of the Village to grant the Franchise.

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C.   By accepting a Franchise, Grantee acknowledges that it has not been induced
     to enter into the franchise by any understanding or promise or other
     statement, whether verbal or written, by or on behalf of the Village or by
     any other third person concerning any term or condition of the Franchise
     not expressed herein.

SECTION 12. EFFECTIVE DATE/ACCEPTANCE BY GRANTEE
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The Grantee shall have thirty (30) days from the date of adoption of this
Franchise Agreement by the Village to accept this Franchise. Such acceptance by
Grantee shall be deemed the grant of this Franchise for all purposes, and the
Effective Date of the Franchise shall be the Effective Date. The Franchise shall
expire ten (10) years from the acceptance date. In the event acceptance does not
take place within thirty (30) days of adoption or such other time as the Village
might allow, this Franchise shall be null and void.

SECTION 13. NOTICE
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Unless expressly or otherwise agreed between the parties, every notice or
response to be served upon the Grantor or Grantee shall be in writing, and shall
be deemed to have been duly given to the required party five (5) business days
after having been posted in a properly sealed and correctly addressed envelope
by certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, at a Post Office or branch
thereof regularly maintained by the U.S. Postal Service.

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The notices or responses to the Village shall be addressed as follows:

     Village of Matteson
     Village Hall
     3625 West 215th Street
     Matteson, IL 60443


The notices or responses to the Grantee shall be addressed as follows:

     Jones Intercable
     4331 West Lincoln Highway
     Matteson, Illinois 60443
     Attn: General Manager

with a copy to:

     Jones Intercable, Inc.
     9697 East Mineral Avenue,
     P.O. Box 3309
     Englewood, Colorado 80155-3309
     Attn: Legal Department

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        IN WITNESS THEREOF, the parties have signed this Agreement on
July 21, 1997, which shall be the effective date of this Agreement.
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VILLAGE OF MATTESON:           CABLE TV FUND 15-A, LTD.

                                 By: Its General Partner
                                     Jones Intercable, Inc.

By:    /s/ Mark W. Stricker      By:    /s/ Neil R. Sullivan
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Title: Village President         Title: Vice President/Operations
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ATTEST:                          ATTEST:

/s/ Patricia Wilson              /s/ Nancy L. Mann
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Village Clerk                    Asst. Secretary

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