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TN: Tennessee Legislative update
from: Knox Views
Tennessee Legislative update
Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2007/05/21 - 12:20pm.
The AT&T sponsored cable franchise bill is back on the calendar for tomorrow in both the House Commerce and Senate Commerce, Labor & Agriculture committees. Previous posts about the bill can be found here and here. (The Senate version now has ten amendments and I haven't had time to read them. Does anybody know what they say?)
Rural America Is Being Left off the Information Superhighway
from: AlterNet
Rural America Is Being Left off the Information Superhighway
By Steve Early, The Nation
Posted on May 19, 2007, Printed on May 21, 2007
Northern New England is just emerging from its annual "mud season" -- long the bane of back-road drivers throughout the region. Nevertheless, residents of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are now worried about getting stuck in a different way. That's because their local phone company, the corporate giant Verizon, wants to ditch them as customers.
FL: Gov. Crist Signs Florida Franchise-Reform Bill
from: MultiChannel News
Gov. Crist Signs Florida Franchise-Reform Bill
(Multichannel News) _ Florida Gov. Charlie Crist http://www.flgov.com signed a franchise-reform bill http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6438318.html for his state that will allow new competitors to apply for statewide franchising by July 1.
WI: AT$T pushing the Video Competition Act
from: Chippewa.com
Editorials from Wisconsin newspapers
By The Associated Press
AT&T has been pushing the Video Competition Act aggressively in Wisconsin, and a cynic would note that if it was as great as they say it is, it wouldn't need the hard sell.
However, the telecommunications giant and the lawmakers behind the proposal are to be commended for at least listening to early criticism of the package and responding.
WI: Reach Out and Misuse Someone's Name
State Franchises Mean Service Call of Duty
from: MultiChannel News
State Franchises Mean Service Call of Duty
New Laws Have Regulators Trying To Solve Customer-Service Issues
By K.C. Neel -- Multichannel News, 5/21/2007
As state lawmakers across the nation race to pass legislation taking control of video franchising oversight, state regulators are grappling with the additional responsibility and costs associated with that responsibility. Meanwhile, many city administrators say they’re trying to solve customer service problems regardless of whether they have official control or not.
TN: $4M Spent to Lobby AT$T-Cable Issue
from: Chon.com
$4M Spent to Lobby AT&T-Cable Issue
By BETH RUCKER Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press
May 18, 2007, 4:08PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The battle over legislation that would ease AT&T's entry into the cable TV market has led to nearly $4 million being spent in lobbying efforts over the past six months _ making it the state's most expensive lobbying issue this year.
WI: 2 pols who opposed cable bill say their names were misused
Note: This is an astroturf technique, manufacturing names for petitions. A New Jersey verizon astroturf did something very similar during that state franchise battle.
from: Capital Times
2 pols who opposed cable bill say their names were misused
Judith Davidoff — 5/17/2007 11:46 am
A couple of lawmakers were surprised to find their names on a list of Wisconsin residents supportive of a video franchise bill when, in fact, both oppose the legislation.
OH: Putting consumers first
from: The Plain Dealer
Putting consumers first
Sunday, May 20, 2007
The much-debated video franchise bill passed by the Ohio Senate represents a significant improvement over the original version.
As introduced, Senate Bill 117 would have wiped away the cumbersome city-by-city process of granting franchises to video service providers and replaced it with a single statewide standard. Media giant AT&T, which helped craft the bill, said that favorable language was needed to enhance competition in Ohio's pay-TV market. Most consumers would have probably agreed, as competition usually results in lower prices.
McSlarrow Advises Caution On Legislating 'High-Speed' Definition
from: Broadcast Newsroom
McSlarrow Advises Caution On Legislating 'High-Speed' Definition
(Broadcasting & Cable) _ National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Kyle McSlarrow told legislators Thursday that while he supports a draft bill requiring better data collection on the rollout of broadband, he doesn't buy the "sky is falling" scenario driving some backing the bill.
