Television viewers beware: watching ESPN’s “SportsCenter” or MTV’s “TRL” may land you in jail if you’re not paying for it.

Cable theft is described as the illegal interception of a cable video product without authorization, said Steve Purcell, regional vice president for Mediacom Cable Services.

The most common form of cable theft is the break-in and alteration of an outdoor cable lock box, Purcell said.

In the past month, television viewers may have noticed a sudden surge of cable theft commercials produced by Mediacom. Purcell said these commercials are strategically planned to air during the start of Mediacom’s cable auditing process.

“When we’re actively auditing the [cable] systems, we run more ads prompting cable theft awareness,” Purcell said.

In the auditing process, auditors have lists of residents who are obtaining cable both legally and illegally, Purcell said. The auditors will physically go to individual residences to perform the audit.

Purcell said if someone is found to be stealing cable, Mediacom will notify the party and disconnect their service. If found stealing cable a second time, they are reported to the police.

Purcell said the audits are performed every six months, although some locations are observed closer and more often than others.

“Apartment complexes are checked on an even more frequent basis since it’s more accessible to steal cable in them,” Purcell said.

He said if someone is illegally obtaining cable, it can reduce the quality of reception for those who live nearby.

“If a cable thief breaks into a lock box and hooks up the cables wrong, it can degrade the system for people who are paying for their cable,” Purcell said.

Based on a survey conducted in 1999 by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the industry loses an estimated $6.6 billion in unrealized basic and premium revenue annually.

Since cable television is a product of federal telecommunications, cable theft is considered to be a federal crime, Purcell said.

Ames Police Cmdr. Jim Robinson said his department has not handled many cable theft cases in the past. “We don’t get many calls on cable theft.”

Robinson said cable theft would be considered theft of services and the length of the illegal cable connection would be the deciding factor on what degree of theft would be imposed.

Purcell said he hopes Mediacom’s advertisement and awareness of the auditing process will help deter people from cable theft.

“Our goal here at Mediacom is to make sure we provide a quality product for people who are paying for it,” Purcell said.