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from: NY Times

October 29, 2007
F.C.C. Set to End Sole Cable Deals for Apartments
By STEPHEN LABATON

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 —The Federal Communications Commission, hoping to reduce the rising costs of cable television, is preparing to strike down thousands of contracts this week that gave individual cable companies exclusive rights to provide service to an apartment building, the agency’s chairman says.

from: Penn Live

More choices for viewers
Statewide cable franchise law would meet high-tech potential
Saturday, October 27, 2007

Verizon's opening of a regional video hub in Harrisburg paves the way for local consumers to have a choice of cable television providers. But only after franchise agreements have been negotiated with individual municipalities.

from: Hartford Business

EDITORIAL
Scrambled Signals

10/29/07

It’s always enlightening to see who owns what. Jay Leno owns several dozen fancy cars. Rupert Murdoch is about to own the Wall Street Journal. And AT&T, it seems, owns Connecticut’s top elected officials.

AT&T wants to make a bundle of money on a service that delivers television via the Internet, all over AT&T’s existing copper phone lines. The service is called U-verse. It’s supposed to be a competitive product to existing cable television.

from: Republican American

U-verse TV battle moves to state court

BY DAVID KRECHEVSKY REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

HARTFORD — The fate of AT&T's U-verse television service now rests with a state superior court judge.

Judge Robert F. McWeeny conducted a hearing Friday before a packed house in Hartford Superior Court on a request from AT&T Inc. to overturn a ruling by state regulators that requires the company to seek a cable TV franchise license for U-verse.

from: Capital Times

AT&T loses bid for TV service

Jeff Richgels — 10/25/2007 10:10 am

AT&T has been handed another defeat in its efforts to offer its U-verse TV service in Connecticut without a cable franchise -- a situation with potential implications for other states, including Wisconsin.

A bill introduced in Wisconsin would provide for statewide cable franchising but has run into strong opposition. AT&T moved forward with U-verse in Milwaukee without a franchise, was sued for that move by the city, then made an interim agreement with the city pending outcome of the case or the franchising legislation.

from: Tennessean

AT&T Wants a Dodge Despite Allowances for Franchising in Tennessee

October 26, 2007
By Stacey Briggs

Cities and counties across Tennessee, particularly Nashville, have rolled out the red carpet for AT&T, inviting the company to begin the application process for a local franchise to provide competitive television services in this market.

From: Free Press

FCC Tricks the Public to Treat Big Media

Is FCC Chairman Kevin Martin trying to trick the people of Washington, D.C.?

Late last night, the chairman announced a "public" hearing at FCC headquarters on Oct. 31 on how consolidation impacts local media. He gave the public just a few days' notice, hoping they won't find out or show up.

Will you be there?

Note: The FCC is also expected to issue an order on video franchising for cable companies (giving them the same provisions the FCC gave the Telcos last year). This is a good day to come to Washington.

Halloween Hijinks at the FCC in DC: Tell Them No to Media Consolidation!

Greetings from the Prometheus Radio Project! Please read this note, and forward widely!

Do the letters F-C-C bring out the monster mogul andcorporate ghoul in you? Does FCC Chairman Kevin Martin have a sick sense of humor, or is he just plain scary?

Note: Tennessee faces another round of industry lobbying and propaganda.

from: The Tennessean

Franchise reform works in other states
Thursday, 10/25/07

By GREGG MORTON

I enjoy a good debate, and the Tennessee General Assembly has participated in a lively debate on the future of consumer access to advanced communication services in our state.

from: Tennessean

Consumers have best chance with statewide video franchise
Today's Topic: Sabers rattle over video rights
Thursday, 10/25/07

Our View

As long as Tennessee legislators focus on what's best for consumers, they will be on the right track if and when a renewed battle between AT&T and cable operators erupts next year.