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from: Lafayette Pro Fiber

Friday, April 18, 2008
"Vehemently Opposed" To AT&T's Law

As you were warned on these pages AT&T's state-wide video franchise bill is back again. The title: "Consumer Choice Television Act" is as deceptive a label as the infamous "Fair Competition Act" that the same corporate players used to attempt to kill competition from LUS when the network was little more than an idea. The idea that any law that the state legislature could pass would change the fundamental economic situation so much that AT&T would change its investment plan for rural Louisiana as consequence is a dumber idea than most that come out of the capital building.

from: Multichannel News

Iowa Bill Lets Cities Collect Cable Franchising Fees
Legislation Cleans Up 2007 Bill
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 4/17/2008 9:11:00 AM

Cable operators in Iowa successfully promoted clean-up legislation to 2007's state franchising reform bill, which clarifies that cities, not counties, can collect franchise fees.

from: Public Knowledge

Connect Kentucky Disconnected At Home
By Art Brodsky on April 14, 2008 - 5:11pm

While Connected Nation is expanding around the country, it hit a big snag at home.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) Monday let the world know what his administration thinks of the controversial Connect Kentucky program. He vetoed $2.4 million in funds for the organization, which was founded under his predecessor, Republican Ernie Fletcher. Background on the program is here.

from: MultiChannel News

Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Ads
Telco Alleges Cabler Makes False Claims About FiOS Service
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 4/9/2008 10:21:00 PM

Verizon Communications filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against Time Warner Cable, alleging the cable operator’s TV ads make “blatantly false” statements about its FiOS services in an attempt to dissuade customers from switching.

from: The Pacer

Competitive cable legislation moves in house
Heather Peterson

Comprise legislation that seeks to provide statewide cable TV franchising is moving in the house with little debate.

The measure unanimously passed the House Commerce Committee on Tuesday after Democratic chairman Charles Curtiss of Sparta had state Comptroller John Morgan address committee members to make sure they understood the bill.

from: Simsbury Community TV

Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Is the face of public access programming changing?

Could revisions to a bill passed by the House last year change the way West Hartford residents view public access programming?

That's the question some public access leaders are asking after members of the Connecticut House of Representatives convened to revise the language of a 2007 bill deregulating the cable broadcasting market in the state. Supporters of the bill hoped it would stimulate competition by allowing new entrants into Connecticut's television broadcasting market.

from: Cranes New York

Verizon files to break cable monopolies

The telecommunications giant submitted a proposal that would make it the first company to offer cable TV service throughout New York City.
April 15. 2008 5:59PMBy: Amanda Fung

Verizon Communications Inc. would be the first company to offer cable TV service throughout all of New York City under a plan filed with city officials Tuesday.

from: MultiChannel News

Tennessee Franchising Bill Aims To Extend Broadband Services
Local Governments Could Also Subsidize Deployment If Private Sector Passes
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 4/11/2008 1:10:00 PM

Legislators in Tennessee have been presented a new version of a state franchising bill with a unique scheme to provide an incentive to new providers to extend broadband services.

from: Nashville City Paper

AT&T Won't Say Where It'd Offer TV if Bill Passes

April 9, 2008
By John Rodgers

Despite lobbying for a bill to start offering television services and compete with cable, AT&T will not say where it would offer those services if legislation were approved.

“For competitive reasons, the company does not outline those plans,” said Bob Corney, an AT&T spokesman. “But, our goal is to try to get our product to as many customers as possible as quickly as possible.”

from: Light Reading

Nice Lobby
APRIL 10, 2008
Discuss >

1:00 PM -- There's one industry in the U.S. economy that is certainly not in a recession: lobbying. In New York state alone, lobbyists had a golden year in 2007, taking in a record $172.1 million. There are a lot of people and companies to thank for that, but none more so than Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board).