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from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Rebuff cable legislation
By BY BOB CHERNOW
Posted: March 18, 2007

What happens when a powerful utility like AT&T wants its way? It joins forces with competitors and uses lobbyists to change the rules of the game. That is what is happening to cable and video in the Legislature.

from: Callahan's Cleveland Diary

Telco bill to end local cable franchising shows up in General Assembly

When this was passed by Michigan’s Republican legislature and signed by Governor Granholm, a Democrat, in December, I wrote: “The Michigan law is very likely to provide the template for similar legislation in the Ohio General Assembly early next year.”

from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinal 3/16/07

Deal on Web TV reached
AT&T would pay city 5% in franchise-like agreement

By GREG J. BOROWSKI and DORIS HAJEWSKI

Milwaukee officials have reached a franchise-like agreement with AT&T that would allow the company to launch its Internet Protocol video service, billed as a competitor to cable television.

Elements of Milwaukee's agreement could become a model for area communities, where AT&T is also moving to offer its U-Verse service.

from: Heritage Newspapers

Cable reform not yet active

By Cristen Kis, Press & Guide Newspapers

PUBLISHED: March 18, 2007

DEARBORN/DEARBORN HEIGHTS - It was pushed through legislature and overwhelmingly passed by both the Michigan House and Senate, but the Uniform Video Services Local Franchise Act has yet to be implemented.

The OK Chapter of the Alliance for Community Media
Central States chapter has sent out the following news
item.

A NEW video franchising bill has been introduced in
the Ohio State Senate, SB 117.

The bill can be found on the Ohio State web site.

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_SB_117

from: Knox Views

Legislative Alert: Broadband access and statewide franchises

Submitted by R. Neal on Fri, 2007/03/16 - 7:59am.

Write your State Senator and Representative and ask them to support three broadband access measures and to oppose statewide cable franchise legislation pending in the Tennessee General Assembly.

from: Blandin on Broadband

Statewide Cable Franchising Committee Meeting

I was wrestling socks on my two year old. I turned on the TV to distract her – and what came on? The live committee meeting for the statewide cable franchise proposal! It didn’t distract her but I got out paper and a pen to take the best notes I could. (Remember, I still had the two year old.) I have wrriten them up as best I could. It’s long but hopefully helpful.

from: Fox Cities HD

Community access TV, including Oshkosh OCAT, threatened by statewide cable franchise bill

The following letter from Jon Urben at Oshkosh Community Access Television (OCAT) has been circulating online today and we felt it bore reprinting. The issues specific to OCAT as described below are certainly not exclusive to them. If you believe in the importance of community access television, please read on and forward this to others.

from: Riedel Communications

Georgia On My Mind, Ohio In The Cross-Hair

One week ago I was at a NATOA legal seminar in Alexandria listening to a panel talk about recent statewide franchising laws and proposed statewide franchising laws.

The moderator of that panel was Lou Comer from the Georgia Municipal Association. Being aware of Georgia legislation that was pending, but not terribly certain of the details, I asked Ms. Comer to elaborate on the provisions for Public, Educational and Government access television. Particularly regarding what I had heard was a phase out provision for PEG funding by 2012.

from: The Republican

Public access stations thrive in communities

Friday, March 16, 2007
By BEA O'QUINN DEWBERRY
bdewberry@repub.com

Tracey B. Durant's allegiance to filming hours of weekly town meetings extends beyond her love of government.