Why wouldn't they run new lines? The cable companies run them all the time. Now, that's provided that they already have a line out at the street. They're not going to provide brand new service to your neighborhood just to give you cable.
And, afaik, your apartment manager/person who owns the apartment cannot say "no." i.e. if you decided you want Directv, you can have directv. They can't say "no, you're not putting one of those antennas on the roof."
Because it would be through existing construction. I'm guessing by "apartment" he means multi-family dwelling - which puts the distro/amp/patch in a central location, and the cables are buried in the concrete.
Actually if it impacts another resident they can certainly say no. He isn't talking about DTV though, but running a second cable line from another cableco who somehow operates in the area. (How is that btw, I know down here its comcast or nuttin, there is exactly 1 provider for any given area, and Comcast ended up with everything except 1 suburb that a small cableco operates that did not sell out.)
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule
The law that I'm sure will get quoted applies only to DTV dishes, and ota antenna only. It states that a landowner/property owner, etc may place restrictions, but those must not unduly affect a renters ability to place an antenna or dish on the section of property leased to them. This basically means you can put it on your balcony. Every single landlord I've ever dealt with will not allow you to place them on the roof, they won't allow you to screw into the building, and you cannot put them in any common area. So its basically on the patio or balcony or nothing. Granted landlords don't have to be this dick and I do see people with them screwed into the building, but those landlords have given permission. They don't have to give permission.
They CAN say "no you can't put one of those antennas on the roof." They CANNOT say "no you can't put one of those antennas on the balcony."