Ampersand: Alleged violation of RCW 42.17A.345 for failure to timely provide complete commercial advertiser books of account upon request (EY24 NOV24)

Case

#164846

Respondent

Ampersand

Complainant

Conner Edwards

Description

PDC staff reviewed the allegation and found the following:

• Per the Ampersand website (https://ampersand.tv/who-we-are/), the company is a "TV advertising sales and technology company.  We reach 117 million multiscreen households, providing viewership insights and planning on 64 million households, in 200+ DMAs, across more than 165+ networks and in all dayparts."  Comcast, Charter Communications, and Cox cable operators jointly own the company.   Ampersand’s vision is "to enable advertisers to reach their audiences with precision and scale in a multiscreen TV environment."
• PDC staff had a conversation with representatives from Ampersand and they explained that Ampersand is a broker and does not have the power to reject or accept a campaign’s advertisement on behalf of the Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) which it assists customers with reaching. Ampersand itself does not provide political advertising.
• Based on the available evidence, it does not appear that Ampersand is a commercial advertiser subject to RCW 42.17A.345.

Based on this information, the PDC finds that no further action is warranted and has dismissed this matter in accordance with RCW 42.17A.755(1) and WAC 390-37-060(1)(a).

Disposition

Case Closed with No Evidence of Violations

Date Opened

January 08, 2025

Areas of Law

RCW 42.17A.345

Documents

• 164846 Ampersand Complaint Return Letter.pdf
• 164846 Ampersand Response.pdf
• 164846 Ampersand Media Complaint.pdf