FCC Slaps New Rules on Cable Industry : Communications: The service regulations spell out in unusual detail how the companies must treat their customers.

WASHINGTON — After listening to cable television customers complain for years about everything from missed service appointments to fuzzy reception, the government Thursday imposed customer-service standards on the cable industry and warned that operators could lose their franchises if they don’t comply.

But the Federal Communications Commission left enforcement of its new regulations to municipal authorities, who say compliance is likely to vary from one community to another, depending on the extent of local officials’ resources. Consumer advocates were quick to complain that the rules do not go far enough.

Cable companies until now operated under a variety of service standards negotiated by municipal authorities.

The new national regulations--mandated by Congress in cable legislation last fall--spell out in unusual detail how cable systems must treat their customers.

Although the cable industry criticized Congress last fall for trying to “micro-manage” its business by imposing the standards, some lawmakers fired back that cable companies were arrogant monopolies that needed a law to compel them to answer customers’ phone calls.

The FCC’s new regulations require cable companies to answer their phones within 30 seconds of receiving a call at any time of the day; to begin working on service disruptions within 24 hours of being notified of a problem and to notify customers of changes in rates, programming or channel positions at least 30 days before they take effect.

The cable industry, through its main trade group, the National Cable Television Assn., said cable operators have “made serious and measured efforts” to improve their responsiveness to subscribers since 1990. The NCTA adopted voluntary industry standards that year in the face of congressional efforts to regulate the industry.

The association told the FCC before Thursday’s meeting that 1,985 cable systems have been certified as in compliance with its voluntary standards, which are similar to those adopted by the commission. However, there is no data on the level of service maintained by another 8,000 or so cable systems.