MERCOM INC
SC 13D/A, 1998-08-28
CABLE & OTHER PAY TELEVISION SERVICES
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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13D

                                (Amendment No. 9)

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                                  Mercom, Inc.
                                (Name of Issuer)


                     Common Stock, Par Value $1.00 Per Share
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                  589935D-10-9
                                 (CUSIP Number)


              Lawrence B. Lappin, Lappin Capital Management, Inc.,
     767 Third Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10017, (212) 755-5694
                                       and
                               Jesse R. Meer, Esq.
             Berlack, Israels & Liberman, LLP, 120 West 45th Street,
                      New York, N.Y. 10036, (212) 704-0100
          (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Persons Authorized 
                     to Receive Notices and Communications)


                                 August 21, 1998
             (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)


If the filing person has previously  filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the  acquisition  which is the subject of this  Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-I(b)(3) or (4), check the following box |_|.

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with the statement |X|. (A fee is
not required only if the reporting  person (1) has a previous  statement on file
reporting  beneficial  ownership  of more  than  five  percent  of the  class of
securities  described  in Item 1;  and (2) has  filed  no  amendment  subsequent
thereto reporting  beneficial  ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7.)


                                                               Page 1 of 3 Pages

<PAGE>


                         AMENDMENT NO. 9 TO SCHEDULE 13D

- ----------------------                                         -----------------
CUSIP No. 589935D-10-9                                         Page 2 of 3 Pages
- ----------------------                                         -----------------

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1
    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON:                    LAPPIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P.
    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON:        13-3641120
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2
    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP           (a) |_|

                                                               (b) |X|
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3
    SEC USE ONLY


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4
    SOURCE OF FUNDS
                        WC
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5
    CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED 
     PURSUANT TO ITEMS (2)(d) or (e)|_|


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6
    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OR ORGANIZATION

    Delaware
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              7
                                      SOLE VOTING POWER

 NUMBER OF                                     313,419
  SHARES
BENEFICIALLY                  --------------------------------------------------
 OWNED BY  
   EACH                        8                                               
 REPORTING                            SHARED VOTING POWER                       
  PERSON                                                                        
   WITH                                         None                            
                              --------------------------------------------------
                               9                                               
                                      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER                    
                                                313,419                         
                              --------------------------------------------------
                               10                                              
                                      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER                  
                                                  None                          
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11
       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
                  313,419 shares
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 12
       CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES |_|


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 13    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11)
                                                                           6.54%
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 14
       TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
                                PN
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                               Page 2 of 3 Pages

<PAGE>


                         AMENDMENT NO. 9 TO SCHEDULE 13D

     The purpose of this  Amendment is to set forth a material  change in Item 5
of the Statement on Schedule 13D as previously  amended. No other changes in the
Statement  are  being  made at this  time,  and so none of the  other  items  of
Schedule 13D as heretofore amended is restated herein.

     Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer.

     Prior to August 5, 1998, the Partnership owned a total of 370,919 shares of
the common stock of the Issuer, and such shares represented  approximately 7.75%
of  the  4,787,060  shares  of  the  common  stock  of the  Issuer  reported  as
outstanding.

     On and after August 5th through August 21, 1998, the  Partnership  sold the
following shares:

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Date of Sale               Number of Shares Sold            Sale Price
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     August 5, 1998                      2,500                  $ 26,704.10
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 12, 1998                      5,000                    58,328.04
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 13, 1998                      5,568                    63,578.86
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 13, 1998                      5,000                    57,093.08
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 13, 1998                      3,000                    34,255.85
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 13, 1998                      6,432                    73,444.54
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 18, 1998                     10,000                   114,176.26
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    August 21, 1998                     20,000                   228,372.33
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            TOTALS                      57,500                  $655,952.96
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     As a result of such sales, the Partnership beneficially owns 313,419 shares
(representing 6.54%) of the common stock of the Issuer currently outstanding. As
previously  reported,  Lappin Capital Management,  Inc. ("LCMI") and Mr. Lappin,
the general  partners  of the  Partnership,  have the sole power to vote,  or to
direct the vote, or to direct the sale or other  disposition of the shares owned
by the  Partnership.  LCMI  and  Mr.  Lappin,  as the  general  partners  of the
Partnership,  have the sole power to  receive  or to direct  the  receipt of the
proceeds  from the sale of such shares,  or any  dividends  paid with respect to
such shares.

                                    SIGNATURE

     After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my  knowledge  and belief,  I
certify that the information  set forth in this amendment is true,  complete and
correct.

          August 27, 1998               
               (Date)

                                             LAPPIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P.

                                             By:  /S/ Lawrence B. Lappin 
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                     (Signature)

                                             Lawrence B. Lappin, General Partner
                                                   (Name)            (Title)


                                                               Page 3 of 3 Pages




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