Everyday Low Cable Bills

It wasn’t enough apparently that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. wanted a $2 million tax break to buy a new $50 million Global Express jet (a tax break it didn’t get). Now we hear the world’s largest retailer has been pilfering television cable service.

We hear the company pays $30 per month for one cable drop into the main headquarters building in Bentonville. From there, the cable is routed to about 200 television sets.

Whether that’s illegal, however, has yet to be determined. It could be part of the company’s agreement with Cox Communications. But it certainly makes a financial difference. Having to pay for a cable connection for each set would run about $6,000 per month. Of course, when you bring in $191 billion a year, $6,000 is hardly a drop in the bucket.

“Any contractural agreement we have with a cable company we wouldn’t make a comment on,” said Sharon Webber, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart.

We called local Cox Communications managers and their PR folks in the Atlanta headquarters, but didn’t hear back from them in time for publication.