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April 2, 2008

Cable companies want to keep operating details secret

WARWICK -- The state’s three cable television companies have requested state regulators to keep secret some of the details they are required to file about their operations each year.

Cox Communications, Verizon Communications and Full Channel TV Inc. all contend that releasing some of the information contained in their annual reports, such as how many customers each company has, would harm their competitive positions.

Cox has gone a step further by also requesting that financial information, such as its balance sheet and income statements, be kept confidential as well.

These filings, in their entirety, have been made available to the public for the past 25 years.

Eric Palazzo, the state’s top cable regulator, has granted that request. The Division of Public Utilities supports cable competition within Rhode Island, Palazzo said. “We do not want to do anything that the companies feel would be negative in the competitive environment.”

The three companies filed their annual reports by the deadline, April 1. The Journal has requested that Thomas Ahern, administrator of the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, review Palazzo's decision to withhold the information..

Ahern said that state law gives the agency 10 days to respond to The Journal's request. He said that Palazzo has asked the cable companies to file memos that expand upon the need to keep the information confidential.

-- Journal staff writer Tim Barmann

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 6:04 PM | Permalink

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