Wednesday, August 11, 1999
Bell, airport fight new area code
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Bell will formally oppose Northern Kentucky's new 859 area code that was announced Tuesday, a move that puts some teeth in a fledgling grass-roots effort against the change.
The company will file its protest with the Kentucky Public Service Commission by Aug. 24, the deadline for comment on the change, Bell spokeswoman Libby Korosec said.
“Cincinnati Bell is responsible as the primary service provider to more than 250,000 Northern Kentucky customers to let the commission know we disagree with their order,” Ms. Korosec said.
That decision was good news to Ted Bushelman, spokesman for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
Mr. Bushelman is helping form and a group of businesses, organizations and politicians opposed to the change.
He said there are at least ""seven major businesses” involved, but would not reveal their names until he could inform them of Bell's decision.
The group, which includes the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, thinks the new area code will hurt tourism and economic development, and present a hardship to businesses that will have to change letterheads, signs and other items with phone numbers.
A group of state Senate Republicans — Katie Stine of Fort Thomas, Jack Westwood of Er langer and Dick Roeding of Lakeside Park — has written Gov. Paul Patton, asking him to intervene and seek a rehearing.
But Mr. Patton has advocated the change with a letter he wrote to the commission in July, stating the 606 area code should remain in his native eastern Kentucky.
The new code will not go into effect until April 1, when customers can use the current 606 code or the new one.
The new code will become mandatory Oct. 1, 2000.
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