Merger partners Comcast and Time Warner Cable share a distinction that they may not be thrilled to have as public knowledge. Citing a new Consumer Reports survey, Bloomberg reports that the two cable companies are among the least liked in America.

The companies ranked near the bottom of the magazine’s survey of almost 82,000 users of TV, Internet and phone plans. Subscribers gave Time Warner Cable and Comcast poor marks for customer support and value.

Comcast’s TV service was ranked 15th out of 17 providers, while Time Warner Cable was No. 16. The bottom-rated service was Mediacom Communications, which has 582,000 customers, mostly in the South and Midwest, the piece adds.

“Everything else in consumer technology is getting more affordable every year — everything except communications services,” Glenn Derene, electronics editor and the lead author of the Consumer Reports story, told Bloomberg.

Comcast is asking for regulatory approval for its $45 billion merger with Time Warner Cable. That would give the combined company 30% control of the pay-TV market.

Bloomberg notes, “The Consumer Reports cover story, published today, shows just how much the pay-TV industry has infiltrated customers’ wallets. The rate of cable price increases more than doubled the rate of inflation in the 15 years through 2012, Derene said. Providers of bundled phone, Internet and cable packages have been consistently low over the past six years, and among the magazine’s lowest-rated consumer services, he said.”