Opinion ID: 2425092
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bell's Duty

Text: The majority in the court of appeals also suggested that negligence was a proper theory because Bell carelessly deleted De-Lanney's advertisement while making changes to his telephone service. In this manner, the court endeavored to connect the omission of the Yellow Pages advertisement to Bell's duty of public service. The gravamen of DeLanney's complaint, however, was not with his telephone service, which was changed according to request and apparently to his satisfaction. Rather, his complaint was with Bell's failure to publish his advertisement as promised, and this was a matter of private contract. A-ABC Appliance, Inc. v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 670 S.W.2d 733, 735 (Tex.App.Austin 1984, writ ref'd n.r.e.). Although Bell is a regulated public utility, all of its functions are not in the realm of public service. The printing, distribution, or sale of advertising in telephone directories is not a public service function. Tex. Rev.Civ.Stat.Ann. art. 1446c, § 3(s) (Vernon Supp.1991).