Save Access

from: Technology Daily

Revised Franchising Proposal Woos Missouri's Cable Industry

By Michael Martinez

(Monday, January 29) The video-franchising debate has returned to Missouri, and a key player has switched sides.

Almost a year after killing his own bill on the issue, state Sen. John Griesheimer has introduced legislation to allow for streamlined entry into the Show-Me State video services market. He authored a similar measure last year that appeared to be on the fast track for the governor's desk before it died in the spring.

Note: AT&T has struggled with it's roll-out of huge telco boxes. It seems AT&T's U-verse is 'your world delivered' in the form of a hulking gray box on the public 'right of way' in front of your home. In the competition with cable, AT&T wins for the biggest boxes and most number of lawsuits they've filed over where they can put them.

from: Journal Sentinel

from: WZZM13

Regulators approve form of cable franchise agreements

AP
Created: 1/30/2007 9:53:38 PM
Updated: 1/30/2007 10:11:20 PM

Lansing - State regulators today created a standardized form to be used for new statewide cable TV franchise agreements - the first step meant to open up Michigan to more cable competition.

My Times

Grassroots group or Astroturf?

Comment on this story
STEPHANIE SIEVERS, sng2@springnet1.com, 217-524-5797

SPRINGFIELD -- They are so-called grassroots groups that appear to champion causes important to the "ordinary Joe" such as lower cable rates, reliable electricity and accessible health care.

from: Belleville News Democrat

Compromise on TV bill could mean more competition
DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Many television viewers already are making the switch to wider, high-definition screens. Now as a result of a compromise at the Missouri Capitol, they could also see a wider variety of video companies competing for their business.

Note: AT&T has been suing many Illinois Communities over the franchise process and telco box placement. Their behavior is that of a 200 billion dollar thug.

Past articles on AT&T lawsuits in Illinois:

Note: This is off topic for saveaccess, but worth repeating. Remember that the FBI (and NSA) need network access to run these traps, and compliant companies, such as AT&T and Verizon. The EFF lawsuit with AT&T over the NSA scandal is still pending, hopefully this latest FBI admission will shed more light on these practices

from: DSL Reports

Cities Say FCC Dishonest About Franchise Issues
Tampa : FCC claims 'complete and abject fiction'
Posted 2007-01-29 by Karl

The FCC voted along partisan lines 3-2 last December to streamline TV franchise rules at the request of the baby bells in order to aid TelcoTV efforts. Some localities say that the FCC and telco lobbyists demonized the existing franchise system to get that vote through and, in some cases, made up stories entirely. Tampa officials are annoyed after the FCC inaccurately claimed they were forcing Verizon to film math tutoring classes in order to get a video franchise. Democratic Commissioner Adelstein has accused FCC chief Kevin Martin of taking telco claims at face value without any independent fact checking.

We closed this campaign at the end of the Senate Hearing on Thursday (2/1/07). Our thanks to all the 4000 individuals who sent letters over the last four days to the Senate Commerce Committee. More than 80,000 letters in total were received by committee members.

There is an archive streaming link of the hearing on the Senate site.

The original post:
The new Senate Commerce Committee meets on Thursday this week in a Hearing entitled: "Assessing the Communications Marketplace: A View from the FCC".

This was the vote last summer on S2686 (later named HR5252) in the 109th Congressional Session: 15-7 with all 12 Republicans and 3 Democrats voting for the bill. The new Democratic majority will hopefully alter the equation in this session.