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from: Northjersey.com

Verizon's FiOS cost troubling investors

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

By MARTHA McKAY
STAFF WRITER

Verizon took a beating Monday after investors digested news that the company's new fiber network is costing slightly more than anticipated.

from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A bad deal for cable customers

Verizon's plan for statewide franchising would leave many behind

Wednesday, October 25, 2006
By Joel Kelsey and Beth McConnell

The telephone giant that provides many Pennsylvania homes with a dial tone is rapidly working its way into the cable market, as traditional home phone lines go the way of the horse and buggy. Generally, this new competition in cable and telephone markets should help stabilize the ever- increasing bills that consumers pay every month.

from: Riedel Communications

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Conquered By Temptation

I am way too old to be surprised or disappointed, but still I find myself in both predicaments.

The news that Alice Huffman, President of the California chapter of the NAACP, being paid $12,000 per month to lobby on at&t’s behalf in the recent state franchising legislation goes beyond surprise or disappointment straight to shock and disgust. No doubt her title as NAACP head put her in a perfect position to pull down this cash, which she did not earn on behalf of the chapter but on her own behalf. Then again, this payola comes in second to the $160,000 she took on behalf of big tobacco.

from:MetroActive

Crossed Wires

As San Jose hosts a community-media conference, it's become clear that the state's new cable legislation has hidden costs for consumers

By Diane Solomon

COMING SOON to cable TV: your phone company. Promising faster access to emerging technologies, more choices and lower rates for all, California legislators passed a law last month allowing phone companies to bypass cities and get statewide franchises to sell video services directly from California's Public Utilities Commission. Under prior law, pay TV providers, like Silicon Valley's Comcast, had to negotiate franchises city-by-city. As early as spring 2007, you'll be able to buy pay TV from phone companies.

from: Times Tribune

10/19/2006
Cable legislation dodged, for now
BY SARAH HOFIUS
STAFF WRITER

State House and Senate cable franchising bills are “off the fast track,” but local municipalities still aren’t safe from losing franchise funds, a telecommunications lawyer said this week.

from: Mondaq

United States: Communications Law Bulletin, September 2006
12 October 2006
Article by Charles H. Kennedy
The Month in Brief (excerpt)

Legislative Developments

With Congress set to recess at the end of October, many observers and analysts are predicting that Congress will not pass communications reform legislation before the November elections or even before the end of the year. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Ak.) conceded that, as of September 21, he was unable to round up the necessary 60 votes to avoid a filibuster on the Senate bill (HR-5252). Even if the 60 votes could be obtained, another hurdle to passing the bill this year is clearing time on the Senate floor to allow 60 hours of debate, as required under Senate procedural rules. The Senate bill continues to face strong opposition from Democrats seeking Net neutrality provisions, although portions of the bill, such as video franchise reform, enjoy strong bipartisan support. Some have speculated that the bill could be passed this year if it is segmented into separate bills, but Sen. Stevens has insisted that he will not section off portions of the bill or attempt to attach it to an appropriations or other bill in order to increase its likelihood of passage. It is unclear how a possible change of control of one or both houses of Congress would affect the bill’s prospects when Congress returns after the November elections.

from: Bloomberg News

Verizon may lobby states on TV service rules

By Bloomberg News | October 5, 2006

NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications Inc.'s lead lobbyist said the company is likely to abandon efforts to pursue federal rules to ease the sale of television service if pending legislation fails this year.

from: Lancaster Online

Cable choice picture unclear
Bills that could have brought competition die in state Legislature. Some customers could have been cut out.

By Gil Smart
Sunday News

Published: Oct 01, 2006 12:05 AM EST

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - State Sen. Gibson Armstrong said he probably gets more complaints about ever-rising cable rates than anything else.

Excellent overview and response to local media coverage of video franchises

from: Sentry

Vigue: Letter writer uses ‘inaccuracies’ to make case

Editor:

I read with interest the response by Annie Kerry to an interview that I gave to the Sentry two weeks ago regarding the current Federal Telecommunications legislation, HR 5252 [also known as the Advanced Telecommunications Opportunity Reform (ATOR) bill]. The arguments given by Annie Kerry are remarkably similar to those given by telecom industry lobbying groups and public relations firms in other parts of the country. They complain that cities and towns across the country are somehow preventing Verizon, AT&T, SBC and other Telecommunications companies from providing low cost, competitive video service to residents. Let’s take a look at the facts:

from: Digital Destiny

Shame on the GOP and Dems in California: Gutting Community Oversight of Broadband

If we ever needed evidence about how both major political parties are in the pocket of the telecommunications industry’s very deep pockets, all we need to do is look at California. The new cable law kills the historic and critical role local governments have played in ensuring cable systems are held accountable and required to do public service. Now all franchising (the licensing of cable systems) will be governed by a single statewide agreement. Doling out these “one-size fits all, lowest common denominator” deals will be the feckless Public Utility Commission.