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from: Sun Sentinel

Titans battle for control of cable TV in Florida

By Josh Hafenbrack
Tallahassee Bureau

April 28, 2007

TALLAHASSEE · They've broadcast their talking points in campaign-style commercials, using the TV screens they're fighting over to argue about who offers the best deal for Florida cable customers.

from: Blandin on Broadband

Statewide Cable Franchising (HF2351) Passed with no Recommendations

I have tried (not really hard) to find the testimony from the Statewide Cable Franchising hearing on April 13. It wasn’t televised. There was no video archive. So tonight I listened to the audio archive. (I have blogged about previous hearings.)

from: TampaBay.com

April 27, 2007
Cable and Telecoms Come to Agreements

With only three dissents, senators adopted the well-lobbied cable bill making it easier for telephone companies to enter the cable TV market.

What started this session as a battle between cable and local goverments on one side and telephone companies on the other ended with local governments out in the cold, unable to even govern utilities' access to their right-of-ways under the terms of the bill.

from: The Capital Times

Charles Uphoff: Don't fall for propaganda on cable franchise bill

By Charles Uphoff

Is the Wisconsin Legislature being hijacked?

Lobbyists for telecommunications giant AT&T have been pressuring Wisconsin legislators to pass sweeping changes in the laws regulating cable TV with a million-dollar media campaign and behind the scenes arm-twisting that would make Karl Rove blush.

from: Waxing America

AT&T Bill Rammed Through Wisconsin Assembly; Senate Follows the Law and Refers Bill to Joint Finance

In a marathon session yesterday, the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Assembly defeated over two dozen Democratic-sponsored amendments on party-line votes and passed AT&T's "video competition" bill, AB 207. The Senate, on the other hand, followed state law and referred SB 107, its version of the bill, to the Joint Finance Committee for consideration of the costs to the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

from: Madison.com

Editorial: Foul smell of campaign cash

State Sen. Jeff Plale, D-South Milwaukee, will not have to face the voters again until 2010.

Just re-elected with ease for another four-year term representing a safe Democratic district in one of the state's most Democratic counties, Plale has no need to be raising money for another campaign.

from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Assembly nears approval of cable bill
State would issue franchises to providers

By STEVEN WALTERS
swalters@journalsentinel.com
Posted: April 24, 2007

Madison - The state Assembly on Tuesday tentatively approved a bill that would require state officials - instead of local governments - to issue cable TV and video broadcast franchises and investigate consumers' complaints.

from: Reuters

AT&T Profit Doubles, but Wireless Growth Lags

From Reuters, April 24, 2007
By Sinead Carew

AT&T Inc.’s profit doubled in the first quarter, beating analyst estimates as profit from its wireless unit grew, helped by the purchase late last year of BellSouth Corp.

from: Journal Group

AT&T ‘comes calling’ in community

Scott Spielman
Editor
April 19, 2007

Officials in the City of Wayne may not have long to wait to find out how the new state-wide cable legislation works.

Telecommunications giant AT&T wants to provide new high-speed video service in area communities through 2017.

from: Belleville News Democrat

AT&T's cable service push draws intense debate at Capitol

RYAN KEITH
Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Jay Rubinic doesn't care how he gets it. He just wants his cable TV.

Rubinic said he's fed up with his current cable provider, Comcast Corp., after a recent outage stretched into nearly two weeks of poor service and frustrating waits for a repairman. But because Comcast has a franchise agreement with Chicago and dominates that market, Rubinic feels he has no other cable choice.