LYONS DEPOSED IN ASCENT SUIT; COURT DATE SET FOR NEXT WEEK

          Ascent shareholders seeking to block the company's $400M
     sale of its sports assets to Bill and Nancy Laurie "are
     scheduled to have a day in court next week," according to
     Stephen Keating of the DENVER POST.  Before a June 24 court
     date in Wilmington, DE, "key players are giving depositions." 
     On Tuesday, sources said that Ascent CEO Charlie Lyons, "who
     is at the center of the controversy, was deposed," and Denver
     business exec Donald Sturm, who claims to have made a $440M
     bid for the assets, "may be deposed as early as today."   The
     deal with the Lauries is scheduled to close on June 30, but
     attorney Steven Schulman, who is representing "a group" of
     Ascent shareholders, said, "We are seeking a preliminary
     injunction against a transaction that has been tainted by a
     conflict of interest."  Schulman wants to pursue an auction
     of the sports assets, but Keating writes that "it is unclear
     what such an auction would bring" (DENVER POST, 6/16).