NEW YORK – The U.S. Telecom Association, which represents telephone companies, is complaining to regulators that cable companies are refusing to air ads promoting laws that would make it easier for phone companies to introduce television service.
In a letter submitted Monday to the Federal Communications Commission, the USTelecom said paid advertising had been declined by cable companies in New Jersey, Missouri, Kansas, Indiana and Kentucky.
“The cable industry is using its video distribution chokehold to suppress speech aimed at unleashing the competition that will force cable operators to be more responsive to customers,” USTelecom’s letter said.
A news release by Verizon Communications Inc., which has been the most aggressive about rolling out TV services,, named Comcast Corp. as one company that refused its ads.
Darcy Rudnay, a Comcast spokeswoman, said it is industry practice to reject ads with false messages.
“The advertisements are demonstrably false and misleading, and are part of a larger lobbying effort intended to secure preferential treatment for the Bells at the expense of consumers,” Rudnay said.
Cable service is provided under deals with county and city governments. Phone companies that want to provide TV service have to negotiate their own deals at the local level, a time-consuming process. Verizon has noted that even if it obtained one local franchise a day, it still would take years to provide video to all its customers.
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