from: KWWL. com [1]

March 2, 2007 -- Des Moines

Cable Franchise Options

You may soon be able to have more cable television options. An Iowa Senate Committee approved a plan that would put the state in charge of granting cable franchises.

Current law puts that power in the hands of local government. The bill goes to the Senate.

Mediacom, the state's largest cable provider, has opposed previous versions of the plan, but has dropped many of its objections.

The proposal says that if multiple cable vendors enter a local market, then the incumbent cable provider can modify its terms of service to deal with the new competition.