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from: MultiChannel News

Operators Opt For Calif. Oversight
Cable Companies Take Advantage Of State Law Replacing Local Franchise Terms
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 1/21/2008 5:30:00 AM

Operators big and small have taken advantage of California law allowing operators to replace local franchise terms with state oversight.

The state franchising law went into effect last year, but included terms that did not allow incumbent operators to drop their local franchises until Jan. 1 of this year.

New providers AT&T and Verizon Communications gained state authorization from the state Public Utilities Commission last March. Incumbents began applying in September, with Wave Broadband the first to earn state approval. Other small operators to apply have been Cableview Communications, serving Esparto, and Northland Communications, serving Mt. Shasta.

California flagComcast has been granted state authorization for most of its major markets, including cities and counties in its San Francisco Bay area cluster. Time Warner Cable got state regulatory authority for its systems in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County systems, among others. Cox Communications was authorized for San Diego city and county and its one Los Angeles city franchise, as well as San Marcos.

Charter Communications was granted state oversight for its major system, Long Beach, as well as other properties in the state.