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from: The Tennessean

AT&T bill clears first hurdle in House

By NAOMI SNYDER
Staff Writer
March 5, 2008

Rep. Charles Curtiss, D-Sparta, who complained he was "left standing at the altar" by AT&T during the last legislative session, was able to get his alternative AT&T bill passed through state House subcommittee Tuesday.

from: Multichannel News

Indiana’s TV Law Lauded
by Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 3/3/2008

Ball State University researchers said Indiana’s 2006 telecommunications-reform bill has advanced the deployment of video and broadband services in the state, a finding disputed by incumbent cable operators.

from: Times Herald

Lansing must fix threat to public access
Flawed cable law paved way for transfer of community programs

No matter how Comcast tries to spin it, the cable provider's efforts to move some of its channels to a higher digital tier runs counter to the interests of many viewers. More important, state lawmakers bear responsibility for making it easier for Comcast to change its programming.

from The Business Journal

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 - 2:55 PM CST
Cable providers in Wisconsin seek statewide franchises
The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Five Wisconsin cable and video service providers - Charter Communications Inc., Time Warner Cable, AT&T Inc., CenturyTel and Comcast Cable - have applied for statewide video franchises under legislation passed last year.

from: News and Observer

Durham to pay for public access TV
A city-county pact with Time Warner Cable sets a price of $120,000 for 10 months' programs

Samiha Khanna, Staff Writer
DURHAM - City and county leaders agreed Monday to pay Time Warner Cable $120,000 over the next 10 months to air public access programs -- shows that used to be aired for free.

from: Times Herald

Lawsuit holds back digital cable switch
Public access channel still widely available
By NICHOLAS DESHAIS
Times Herald

Comcast announced a slate of programming changes Friday, including the removal of some channels from standard cable in order to move them to a high-definition format.

from: Chattanoogan

Tennessee AT&T President Sees Need For Video Franchise Reform
by Dana Wilbourn
posted February 28, 2008

Click to Enlarge
Photo by Dana Wilbourn
Gregg Morton, president of AT&T in Tennessee
Gregg Morton, president of AT&T in Tennessee, told the Chattanooga Rotary Club on Thursday that there is a need for video franchise reform in Tennessee. “It’s time for competition, choice, and better pricing for Tennesseans,” he said.

from: Bitch Slappin'

Connect Tennessee and the Battle over State Franchising

There’s another AT&T sponsored Cable Franchising Bill in Tennessee, this one being pushed by the Telecom Astroturf group “Connected Tennessee“. It’s not the only Tennessee Cable Franchise bill, but it is the one getting the most press and attention, probably because of the dough that’s being slung around, and now that telecom money is being handed out to Democrats, much to the chagrin of the Repuglycans, who seem to be running on a budget these days.

from: Riedel Communications

Friday, February 29, 2008
Blind Alleys

There are people who have contributed greatly to your personal welfare that you will never hear about. One of those is Marston Bates. He studied mosquitoes in South America and his work improved the understanding of yellow fever. You gotta like a guy like that, somebody who does original and actual research. Bates didn’t take himself too seriously either. He is attributed with saying “Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they are blind.”

from: Daily News journal

Kimbrell: AT&T bill holds key to future
By ED KIMBRELL

For the past few weeks, behind closed doors at the state Capitol, American Telephone and Telegraph, Comcast cable, the Tennessee Municipal League, and selected legislators have been trying to forge a tortured compromise about the Internet's future in the state.