Save Access

from: Nashville Post

AT&T Round 3: Franchise reform gets new House leader

12-04-2007 10:19 AM —

UPDATED 6:15 P.M. - Sen. Bill Ketron confirmed by mid-afternoon he will be carrying the franchise bill in the Senate, in 2008.

As originally reported:

from: MultiChannel News

AT&T, Cable Engage In Tennessee Franchising Tussle

TCTA Leader Briggs Fires Back At State Telco Leader Morton Over Reform Issues
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 12/6/2007 4:45:00 PM

Verbal sparring is already heating up in Tennessee over state franchising, even though the legislature won't return to the issue until January.

from: WPLN News

Tuesday, December 04th, 2007
AT&T Struggles to Get Message Out

The largest communications company in the world is having trouble airing ads on Tennessee’s local cable channels.

A-T-and-T’s Tennessee president Gregg Morton says the company has been trying to air informative ads about its desire to ink a statewide franchise agreement to provide cable TV services. That would take a change in current state law that now requires cable companies to negotiate individual contracts with cities and counties.

from: Nashville Post

AT&T Round 3: Franchise reform gets new House leader

By Milt Capps
12-04-2007 10:19 AM

UPDATED 6:15 P.M. - Sen. Bill Ketron confirmed by mid-afternoon he will be carrying the franchise bill in the Senate, in 2008.

As originally reported:

Note: TV4US is an astroturf organization paid for by the telephone companies. What they fail to mention in this press release is that Verizon just announced a 11.5% rate increase on their cable TV services (on top of a 7.5% increase earlier in 2007). There is currently no evidence in any state that competition in cable TV services has resulted in lower prices. In Tennessee, AT&T is currently trying to ram through a state video franchise for the second time.

from: KnoxNews

AT&T statewide cable franchise round 2: KNS already in their pocket

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2007/12/03 - 9:31am.

The AT&T statewide cable franchise bill is headed back to the Tennessee legislature. Not surprisingly, the Knoxville News Sentinel has once again taken the pro-big business, anti-consumer anti-local government position and endorsed it (see below).

from: Knox News

Lobbying costs hit $11M in AT&T, cable TV industry battle

By Tom Humphrey (Contact)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007

NASHVILLE - Lobbying expenses in Tennessee's legislative war between AT&T and the cable television industry reached the $11 million plateau this year, according to reports filed with the Tennessee Ethics Commission by major participants.

from: Herald-News

Chamber Discusses Video Franchise Bill

November 14, 2007
By John B. Carpenter

The Dayton Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors stopped short of a formal endorsement of video franchising reform legislation Monday but generally expressed approval for AT&T’s bid for a statewide franchise to provide TV programming over its existing network of telephone lines.

from: Times Gazette

Cable / phone fight heats up again
Friday, November 16, 2007
By Brian Mosely

The cable television industry is gearing up for another fight in the Tennessee State Legislature against AT&T, which is planning to promote a bill next year that the cable industry claims would hurt consumers by dismantling the local franchise law.

from: News Channel 9

Cable Wars Continue in Chattanooga

November 15, 2007
By Karen Zatkulak

It’s another bill that most everyone says is just too high — cable. But right now, folks in Chattanooga only have one choice for that service. City council members want to change the situation.