An East Coast cable television company this week filed papers with the Federal Communications Commission registering its opposition to Meredith Corp.’s request for the license to operate a St. Louis television station that Meredith is purchasing.

Cablevision Systems Corp. of New York City contends that Meredith is “unfit” to hold the broadcast license, according to a news release. Cablevision also is asking federal regulators to investigate Meredith’s fitness to hold a broadcasting license.

Meredith is purchasing the St. Louis CBS affiliate, KMOV-TV. However, the cable company’s dispute with the Des Moines-based media company centers on Meredith’s decision to pull its Hartford-New Haven station, WFSB Channel 3, from Cablevision customers in that area.

“Meredith’s actions of pulling all CBS programming for Cablevision customers in Litchfield and New Haven counties demonstrate its unwillingness to operate a broadcast channel in the public interest, and expose its unreasonable conduct toward the Hartford-New Haven DMA, the community Meredith has committed to serve,” according to a Cablevision news release.

The company alleges that Meredith blacked out CBS programming, including National Football League playoff games, in those areas, unless the cable company agrees to pay for the station in Fairfield County as well.

Meredith officials told DesMoinesRegister.com that Cablevision’s complaints represent  a “lack of understanding of Connecticut television viewers.”