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from: WRN.com

WRN News
Vote expected on cable deregulation bill
Thursday, November 8, 2007, 12:36 AM
by John Colbert, WIBA

Opponents of a cable TV franchising bill that's up for a vote in the state Senate today are making a last-ditch attempt at changes. Fifteen Assembly Democrats are asking the Senate author of the bill to accept amendments that assure consumer protections for cable customers, if the measure becomes law.

from: Madison.com

Bill Moyers Journal seeks the 'teletruth' about cable deregulation

Show to shadow watchdog group founder today

Judith Davidoff — 11/08/2007 9:02 am

The cable deregulation bill before the state Senate today is drawing national attention.

A film crew and reporter from Bill Moyers Journal will be in Madison to cover the vote and to shadow Cynthia Laitman, the co-founder of the statewide chapter of TeleTruth, a telecommunications watchdog group.

from: Madison.com

Make a place for rural Wisconsin

An editorial — 11/08/2007 9:12 am

The AT&T-sponsored cable franchise bill now being rushed through the state Senate would have a devastating impact on rural areas, and legislators from those areas want to address the problems with the measure before it expands an already serious "digital divide."

from: Fierce IPTV

U-verse given the green light in Connecticut
November 6, 2007

AT&T has been granted a franchise for its IPTV U-verse service in Connecticut after a state court overturned a decision by the local utility regulator which required U-verse to have to get a franchise in each area in which it wanted to operate. The decision is an important precedent and clears the way for similar state-level clearance to facilitate the rapid roll out of the broadband infrastructure necessary to support IPTV and other high access services. AT&T becomes the first competitor to offer television services under a new state law designed to increase competition with the cable industry.

from: Journal Sentinel

City fears loss of cable pacts
Will providers opt out if state bill passes?

By STEVEN WALTERS
swalters@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 6, 2007

Madison - Milwaukee's cable franchise administrator said Tuesday he expects that AT&T and Time Warner would opt out of their city contracts and apply for state-issued franchises, if a bill up for a Senate vote this week becomes law.

Note:A flaw in the Florida State Franchise left PEG channels open to sole carriage on digital channels as opposed to the analog channels that compose basic cable service. A real loss for fixed-income homes and seniors who want access to local civic news and information.

from: The Ledger

Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2007

from: 7 Town TV

IPTV and Consumer Choice

It is the same story but CT is now the playing field Telecom

Throughout the entire time-line of public discourse about U-verse, which includes both regulatory & court proceedings, at&t has funded a marketing campaign that presents itself as a consumer choice organization (MoreConsumerChoice.org and wewantchoice.com). at&t is currently running the TV4US campaign with pro at&t letter being auto-generation to DPUC. This campaign strategically locates TV4US ADs near articles on the U-verse debate. (Such Ads have appeared in web version of NH Register, Record-Journal, Hartford Courant.) This is polluting the information integrity associated with this market competition issue.

from: Associated Content

AT&T U-verse Deploys in Connecticut Stirs Controversy
Can Someone Buy Your Free Speech?
By adelehouston

The free speech of hundreds of consumers was paid for in advertising funds expended by AT&T this year. In a recent campaign to deploy U-verse in Connecticut (a timeline of events can be found here; http://7towntv.org/ct_acm.htm ) a massive marketing campaign rallied consumers to fight for competition and fair prices. It was slick.

from: KOMU

More Funding For CAT-3

COLUMBIA - Columbia Public Access Television (CAT-3) operates on a very small budget. However, a rise in cable franchise fee rates will give CAT-3 a boost.

Although Cable Access Television does not turn a high profit, those who work on it say it is still work all the time.

from: Badger Herald

OPINION & EDITORIAL
State cable bill phoned in by AT&T

by Adi Lev-er
Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The state Senate will vote on a bill tomorrow that would deregulate the cable industry in Wisconsin. Currently, local municipalities are in control of the industry; they grant the necessary franchise contracts to cable companies. The proposed bill would transfer that control over to the state. Instead of relying on the local government to consider each cable company individually and set up a contract, the state would create a standard by which companies would be granted franchises.