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from: Badger Herald

State wants control of cable

by Keegan Kyle
Monday, March 12, 2007

In an effort to increase cable television competition across Wisconsin, legislators introduced a bill Thursday that would give state officials the authority to grant statewide video franchises.

from: Denver Post

Qwest may see future in TV

By Kimberly S. Johnson
Denver Post Staff Writer
03/12/2007

Qwest may be looking at delivering TV service in an on-demand fashion, as an alternative to securing state or local TV franchise deals.

The Denver-based telecommunications company wants to better compete against cable companies, such as Comcast, and may take an unorthodox approach - offering television programs on-demand over its high-speed Internet connection.

from: Nashville Post

AT&T rejects Nashville video franchise for the second time

03-12-2007

Mayor Bill Purcell recently offered to help AT&T Tennessee — the former BellSouth — rapidly obtain a local franchise to offer video services in Davidson County, but AT&T declined the offer on the spot, according to Purcell spokesperson Molly Sudderth.

from: City of Geneva

AT&T LOBBIES ILLINOIS HOUSE TO REMOVE LOCAL CONTROL.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY WANTS EMINIENT DOMAIN POWER OVER GENEVA PROPERTY OWNERS?

AT&T has launched a bill at the State House level to remove local franchise control from municipalities (a power Geneva currently holds) and instead give power over Geneva's Rights of Way directly to the State of Illinois. Most important to Geneva citizens, if passed, this bill would remove full citywide buildout requirements from AT&T - something cable companies must currently do - and allow them to serve parts of Geneva that they found most profitable, and not serve others they did not.

from: Denver Post

FCC order may help Qwest's quest

By Kimberly S. Johnson
Denver Post Staff Writer
03/11/2007

Although Qwest has lost attempts to win statewide franchise agreements in three states this year, a recent Federal Communications Commission order on the issue may give the company a much-needed boost.

from: JS Online

Bill would level playing field for TV programming providers
Only cable companies now held to franchise requirements

By DORIS HAJEWSKI

Posted: March 8, 2007

A bill that would eliminate municipal cable franchises and shift the approval process to the state was unveiled Thursday in Madison.

from: Lafayette Pro Fiber

Sunday, March 11, 2007

AT&T & Cox should reconsider state video franchising

Tis spring and the legislative season is opening in these United States. Our Louisiana silly season won't begin 'til April but many state legislatures are already in session. An article in the Jackson, TN newspaper reminds us that phone companies are still up to their old tricks. Last year the telephone companies launched a nation-wide push in state legislatures to take control of local rights-of-way away from the cities and counties that own them and create state-level privileges for phone companies who wanted to get int the cable TV business.

from: KC Community News

Students testify before legislature against cable bill

Bill could jeopardize award-winning Channel 18
By: Natalie Shelton
Wednesday, March 7, 2007 4:13 PM CST

With the future of Liberty school district’s KLPS Channel 18 made uncertain by a proposed Missouri bill, high school students traveled to Jefferson City last week to testify before a House committee against the measure.

from: Capital Times

Cable TV bill called a blow to consumer
Critics say proposed law is riddled with problems
By Jeff Richgels

Consumers would lose what little protection they have under a proposed statewide cable TV franchising law introduced Thursday, critics of the bill said today.

from: People First

Overall Strategy

Verizon has introduced a bill into the Massachusetts State Legislature which is a disaster in more ways than one could even count, and they are putting a full-court lobbying and media press on to pass it, with extraordinary local and national dollars behind it. We need to kill this bill, but it’s going to take a seriously organized effort to win.