Verizon to launch TV service in Washington

Verizon Communications Inc. plans to start television channels that will show news and sports in Washington and selected additional markets.

Michelle Webb, a former news producer for Walt Disney Co.’s ABC TV network, will head the project, Verizon said. Verizon, based in New York, said the Washington channel would start operating in the first quarter.

Verizon plans to spend $22.9 billion to connect its fiber optic network to consumers’ homes to deliver TV service and put pressure on Comcast Corp. and other cable providers that now offer phone calls.