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Technology Daily
April 14, By Drew Clark

House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, is doing everything possible to avoid having his panel's telecommunications legislation referred to the Judiciary Committee.

Last week Barton and Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., were cautious about accepting amendments that might give Judiciary jurisdiction over their bill. . .

By KURT HAUGLIE, Gazette Writer
April 14

OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP — Osceola Township Supervisor Steven Karpiak is concerned that local governments may be about to lose control of cable communication access and franchise fees in their communities if proposed legislation in Lansing becomes law.

The legislation, which is being promoted by telecommunications companies AT&T and Verizon in states around the country, would place the decision about where cable is installed with state government. . .

by Lyell Davies
Apr. 14, 2006

On April 5th the phone company backed COPE Act was “marked-up” and moved out of sub-committee in Washington. The COPE Act follows on the heels of BITS II and earlier controversial legislation that seeks to help the phone companies enter into the Broadband video-service market—and in the process change rules that have for decades successfully governed local telecommunications

By JAY GOETTING, Register Staff Writer
Saturday, April 15, 2006 1:12 AM PDT

Cable television battles being waged in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento may have a profound effect on Napa TV -- the two cable access channels full of local programming -- and hurt the bottom line of local government.

Two pieces of legislation raise questions about who has the right to award cable and other communications franchises, and who collects the related fees. One would give the state the control, the other would give it to the Federal Communications Commission. Right now, cities award cable franchises.

from Maine Townsman, March 2006
By Lee Burnett, Freelance Writer

These may be the good old days of public access TV.

The funding mechanism for public access TV – local franchising – is under attack in Congress. The big telephone companies Verizon, AT&T and SBC want to enter the lucrative home video market without having to negotiate local franchise agreements with every community, as cable TV companies have been required to do. The telcos are pressuring Congress for a national franchising system or, at the very least, a state franchising system.

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