OTHER NEWS - May 5, 1992

Reprimand of Pacific Bell Sought: A statewide consumer group asked the California Public Utilities Commission to reprimand Pacific Bell for submitting a document in support of Caller ID weeks after the close of hearings on the matter. Toward Utility Rate Normalization, the consumer group, said Pac Bell was attempting to improperly influence the commission’s coming decision on Caller ID, a controversial proposed phone service that would allow subscribers to identify and record the number of an incoming call. After the document was filed, the PUC briefly reopened the record so that other parties could respond. The full commission is expected at its meeting Friday to postpone a decision on the matter until later this month or early next. An administrative law judge in January recommended that the PUC reject the service.