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from: Broadband Reports

The Fiscal Problems Of Franchise Laws
There's a problem when telecom companies write legislation

The Video Service Competition Act, passed into law last year by the General Assembly in North Carolina, is your basic cable franchise agreement. It was supposed to increase competition, reducing pricing and give consumers more cable service choices.

from: Houston Art Blog

buh-bye

Apparently the city has no need for Houston Media Source anymore, last week the city decided to not renew their franchise contract. Under Texas' two and a half year-old statewide video franchise law, Comcast will be allowed to apply for a statewide franchise certificate, but they are not obligated to give any funds to public access. Bill White's Chief of Staff, Mr. Terrance Fountain, says the City will cut off all funding for Houston Media Source effective April 2008.

from: Tech and Communications Today

State Wide Video/Cable TV Franchise Laws= No Reduced Bills or Competion

Posted by technology2day

This month Governor Strickland signed into law State-wide video franchise bill. This bill of course was sponsored and paid for by AT&T, and Verizon along with their lobbing groups they created to ensure the public this was the greatest thing for Ohio. Do you know what a State Wide Video Franchise Law is? If you answered No, then you’re like most people.

from: Lasar's Letter

Prometheus Radio Comes Out Against XM-Sirius Merger

From Lasar’s Letter, July 11, 2007
By Matthew Lasar

The group that blocked the Federal Communications Commission’s 2003 attempt to relax its media ownership rules has filed comments in opposition to the proposed merger of XM and Sirius satellite radio.

from: Capital Times

New Coalition Attempts to Squash Controversial Cable Bill in Wisconsin

From Capital Times, July 11, 2007
By Judith Davidoff

Saying consumers have been excluded from the debate, a new coalition announced efforts today to fight efforts by AT&T and state legislators to deregulate the cable television industry.

from: Newsday

Suffolk legislator pushing Verizon for equal rollouts
Can you hear him now?

BY JULIET CHENG
juliet.chung@newsday.com

July 12, 2007, 4:01 PM EDT

Claiming Verizon would discriminate against minority and low-income communities if the town of Islip grants it a cable franchise agreement -- an action the town is considering -- Suffolk County Legis. Ricardo Montano is pushing for the telecom giant to commit to thorough service rollout terms and penalized if it fails to meet those terms.

from: MultiChannel News

Florida Approves Verizon Statewide Franchise

(Multichannel News) _ The Florida Department of State approved Verizon Communications' application for a state-issued cable franchise, opening the way for the telco to offer FiOS TV service in the Tampa, Fla., area.

from: Independent Weekly

Touch that dial
What happens when telecom companies write state legislation? Check your wallet.

BY FIONA MORGAN
JULY 11, 2007

Beware of legislation promising "competition." A bill passed by the General Assembly last year that was intended to jump-start competition in the cable TV industry has had the unforeseen consequence of costing the state and local governments across North Carolina millions of dollars in lost revenue. And six months after the law went into effect, that promised competition is nowhere in sight.

from: Teletruth Wisconsin

Teletruth Wisconsin News Alert, July 11th, 2007.

Press Conference, Wednesday, July 11, 2007, 10 am,
Senate Parlor, State Capitol, Madison, Wisconsin.

Subject: To announce the creation of TeleTruth Wisconsin, a broad new alliance of citizen groups and individuals concerned about the pending cable TV legislation - SB 107 / AB 207 - being promoted by AT&T and their affiliate, TV4US.

from: Neiman Watchdog

Verizon, AT&T and the manipulation of public opinion

COMMENTARY | April 04, 2007

Needed: Blacks, Hispanics, disabled, deaf, low-income and the elderly to support the telecoms’ positions on anti-consumer FCC rulings and legislation.