ST. LOUIS (AP) — A TV antenna maker wanted to use the competition’s own medium — cable TV — for its anti-cable message. Now, officials at Antennas Direct say Charter Communications’ refusal to air the ads is evidence of the cable industry’s growing concern over antennas.

At issue are three 60-second spots that Antennas Direct of Ellisville, Mo., sought to air in the St. Louis market through Charter Communications on ESPN, the History Channel and other cable networks. The ads encourage viewers to cancel cable and save money by buying an antenna. One shows a man chained, telling an unseen voice of a cable company, “You’re gonna lose a ton of money when people realize they don’t have to pay you just to watch TV.”