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from: The Advicate

House OKs cable franchise bill

* By SARAH CHACKO
* Advocate Capitol News Bureau
* Published: Jun 11, 2008 - Page: 6A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

Comments (1)

After lengthy debate and several failed amendments, House members gave final approval Tuesday to legislation that would enable cable companies to get a statewide franchise.

Nola.com

La. Senate panel OKs TV change
4/23/2008, 5:28 p.m. CDT
The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State government, not police juries and city councils, should control the franchise fee process for television service around the state, a Senate panel voted on Wednesday.

from: Lafayette Pro Fiber

Sunday, April 20, 2008
Video franchise bills all take; where's the give?

The statewide video franchise bills up for consideration in the Louisiana Legislature are, in fact, bad news as John and the LMA (pdf) have made clear. But, based on the 2006 experience where only Governor Blanco's veto prevented a version of this legislation from becoming law, I also believe it is clear that some form of this legislation is going to pass again this year and Governor Jindal will sign it into law.

from: Lafayette Pro Fiber

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
TV4US Astroturf Org Active in Louisiana

Well, we knew it was coming. The legislature is coming back in session and the latest push to take take local municipal property rights and hand them over to AT&T is back.

from: Lafayette Pro Fiber

Friday, April 18, 2008
"Vehemently Opposed" To AT&T's Law

As you were warned on these pages AT&T's state-wide video franchise bill is back again. The title: "Consumer Choice Television Act" is as deceptive a label as the infamous "Fair Competition Act" that the same corporate players used to attempt to kill competition from LUS when the network was little more than an idea. The idea that any law that the state legislature could pass would change the fundamental economic situation so much that AT&T would change its investment plan for rural Louisiana as consequence is a dumber idea than most that come out of the capital building.

from: Lafayette Pro Fiber

How Video Franchising Works

Friday, April 06, 2007

They've got some experience under their belt with state video franchising in Virgina and, according to an article in the Newport News paper, some of the opponents' worst fears are being realized. Verizon, who is building out a Fiber to the Privileged (FTTP) network (If this is unfamiliar territory drop to the bottom and read up on the background to this story.)

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.

This page last updated 2/19/07
Recent State News via saveaccess: newswire

Bill Number(s):
HB699

Status:
HB699
Failed - Vetoed by the Governor
07/12/2006 H Vetoed by the Governor.
03/16/2006 H Prefiled.

Description:
• State franchise application structure reads much like the Michigan proposal which grants a franchise to an applicant after 45 days of filing with no provision for denial of application.

This is good news, the first state franchise bill to fall by a veto from a governor. Should the telco bills stall in Congress we'll see more action like this at the state level. The LA Governor's statement can be downloaded at: http://www.legis.state.la.us/archive/06rs/veto/hb699v.pdf

LA Governor vetoes cable bill, few appropriations

from: MultiChannel News

Louisiana Passes Franchise-Reform Bill

By Linda Haugsted 6/20/2006 5:31:00 PM

A franchise-reform bill that will allow incumbent cable operators to immediately opt into state franchises has been approved by the Louisiana State Legislature.

The bill passed Monday, the last day of the state's legislative session. It must now be signed by Gov. Kathleen Blanco in order to become effective.