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from: NY Daily News

Bill Hammond
For cheaper cable, aim your clicker at Albany

Tuesday, June 5th 2007, 4:00 AM

Wouldn't you just love to tell the cable company to take a hike?

Wouldn't it be great - when Time Warner hikes your rates or when Cablevision goes out in the middle of a big game - to cancel your account and switch to another company?

That's the promise of the Telecommunications Reform Act, a bill that deserves quick action in the state Legislature.

Authored by Westchester Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, the act paves the way for phone companies to sell TV service over their fiberoptic networks across the state. This one step would break up the regional cable monopolies and bring good, old-fashioned free-market competition to an industry that sorely needs it.

According to federal research, rates drop an average of 28% - or about $10 a month - in areas where companies have to fight for customers. And you can bet the cable guy would get there a lot sooner, too.

The technology for telephone-based TV is already in place across much of the state. Verizon is ready, willing and able to jump into the business - and give New Yorkers the good, old-fashioned American right to shop around for the best deal.

In fact, Verizon currently offers cable TV in 43 communities in Westchester and Rockland counties and on Long Island. But it had to negotiate those franchises one municipality at a time - a costly and time-consuming process. In New York City, Verizon has been dickering with the Bloomberg administration for more than nine months without coming to an agreement.

Brodsky's bill would cut to the chase, authorizing state officials to sign a statewide franchise for cable TV service. In areas where the fiberoptic lines have been laid, Verizon could jump into the cable market almost overnight.

But the cable industry, desperate to keep its captive audience, is using all of its considerable influence in Albany to block reform. Unless Gov. Spitzer intervenes, consumers could well lose this battle - and be forced to keep paying through the nose for lousy service.

The bill enjoys strong support from the telephone workers union - eager to preserve 25,000 jobs at Verizon - as well as the major consumer groups.

But it's running into stiff resistance. The cable companies are squawking that the bill is unfair, since they had to negotiate dozens upon dozens of franchises and Verizon won't have to - neglecting to mention that they are free to offer Internet-based phone service that piggybacks on Verizon's network. Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg and other local officials are reluctant to transfer their franchising authority to the state. Even Verizon is objecting to Brodsky's bill because of strings he has attached.

While Albany bickers, New York consumers continue to get shafted. Spitzer must break the logjam and forge a compromise that makes the bill workable for both Verizon and local officials.

Texas, California and New Jersey have already made the switch to competitive TV. New York should be the next state to change the channel on lousy, overpriced cable.

whammond@nydailynews.com