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from: Marietta Times

Officials get cable TV law update
Thursday, August 02, 2007

By Connie Cartmell, ccartmell@mariettatimes.com

Marietta City Councilman Tom Vukovic initially had serious reservations about deregulation of cable television in Ohio.

Today Vukovic, a member of council’s special public utilities committee, has learned more about the process, brought about through Senate Bill 117, and has fewer concerns.

from: Tech and Communications Today

State Wide Video/Cable TV Franchise Laws= No Reduced Bills or Competion

Posted by technology2day

This month Governor Strickland signed into law State-wide video franchise bill. This bill of course was sponsored and paid for by AT&T, and Verizon along with their lobbing groups they created to ensure the public this was the greatest thing for Ohio. Do you know what a State Wide Video Franchise Law is? If you answered No, then you’re like most people.

from: The Review

New cable providers bill affects townships

By LEIGH ANN KAISER (lkaiser@reviewonline.com)

Liverpool Township Trustee Karl Kontnier recently aired his frustration regarding Ohio Senate Bill 117 which was signed into law by Gov. Ted Strickland June 25.

The bill, which passed by a 94-2 vote in the house and a 33-0 vote in the senate, will dissolve the right of local governments to negotiate contracts with cable providers to establish a statewide franchise.

FROM: Hilltop Press, June 20, 2007

A right cross to Waycross Bill would cut franchise revenues
By Heidi Fallon
hfallon@communitypress.com

Legislation working its way to the governor's desk will have dire consequences for Waycross Community Television.

Senate Bill 117, which passed in the House of Representatives June 14 with a 92-2 vote, is "very unfortunate for Ohio consumers," according to Chip Bergquist, Waycross executive director.

from: The Morning journal

06/26/2007
Gov. Strickland signs lower cost cable bill
MEGAN KING , Morning Journal Writer

LORAIN -- The cable bill that local officials fear will jeopardize their cable franchise fees was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Ted Strickland.

from: Callahan's Diary

SB 117 and the city: Moving on

The end of local cable franchising is not quite law in Ohio, not yet. The Ohio Senate must accept the House’s changes to SB 117, or a conference committee must reconcile the two versions, and the Governor must sign the final product. But this will all happen in a matter of days. The argument is over, the deal has gone down. Time to move on.

from: The Enquirer

Bill may kill Miami Twp.'s TV channel
Communities would have to share public access
BY BARRETT J. BRUNSMAN | BBRUNSMAN@ENQUIRER.COM

MIAMI TWP. - They want their MTTV.

Officials in this Clermont County community also want to keep the $252,000 a year in franchise fees paid by Time Warner Cable, which funds the township's TV channel.

from: Callahan's Diary

SB 117 passes House 94 to 2; Rep. Miller claims Dems “held the line”

Every single Democrat voted for it.

The two “No” votes were Republicans Tom Brinkman of Cincinnati and Jeff Wagner of Seneca County.

My Representative, Eugene Miller, never bothered to respond to an email I sent him about SB 117 weeks ago. He apparently never responded to messages from my neighbors Tim and Gloria Ferris, either — at least until today, when he sent Gloria an email with this (a straight cut-and-paste, all errors in the original):

from: Columbus Dispatch

Ohio House passes business-backed bill for cable-TV competition
Cities don't like pre-emption of franchise contracts

Thursday, June 14, 2007 11:36 PM
By Alan Johnson
The Columbus Dispatch

A much-debated bill that would open the video-service business in the state to competition was approved overwhelmingly today by the Ohio House with no debate.

from: Cleveland.Com

Big cable gets its way vs. local franchises

Friday, June 15, 2007
Aaron Marshall
Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus - Giants in the pay-TV business could sell their video services with one unified, statewide agreement and wouldn't have to cut deals with local governments under a bill passed by House lawmakers Thursday.