National Cable Legislation
For more than a year Norfolk Community Television (NCTV) and other Public Access T.V. stations have been aware of potential changes in the cable licensing process for cable providers in Massachusetts cities and towns. More than a year ago attempts to create a National Franchise License limiting the negotiating time from two years to 60 days stalled in Congress and appears to be a dead issue. However, state attempts to change the licensing process is now knocking on the State House doors.
As the licensing process stands right now, each city and town has its own licensing entity to negotiate a contract with whichever cable provider is applying for a license to provide cable in that town. In Norfolk, that entity is the Board of Selectmen. Currently, the cable provider is Comcast. These negotiations can take as long as two years to finalize. There are good reasons for the length of these negotiations. Agreements need to be firmly fixed regarding cable lines, Cable T.V. availability, pole placement, I-net responsibility, working definitions and the development and financial maintenance of Public Access Television.
Recently a bill was co-sponsored by two state lawmakers, Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin and Sen. Steven Panagiotakos D-Lowell, that if passed, would allow cable television providers to seek one standard license from the state and this license would be granted within 15 days from the time of application. The goal of this bill is to allow Verizon and others to ease their way into the cable T.V. business by changing the established regulations that apply to all other cable providers.
According to Wendy Blom, in an article she wrote for Somerville Community Access television, ...this bill is bad for Massachusetts consumers and would adversely affect community communications and public access television by taking away local control of cable services such as the authority to set up and maintain intra-city (town) communications networks, to request monies for capital improvements, to request additional channels for community use, and to require equal service to all residents. Currently these are all issues that localities can put on the table during franchise negotiations. Under the Vallee/Panagiotakos bill, local communities would no longer have these controls, and state regulators would make all the determinations, and in just 15 days.
The justification behind the creation of state-issued licensing is ostensibly to increase competition and thus, reduce costs to the consumer. Yet, the obvious outcome of turning local control over to the state is apparent. Cities and towns will no longer have authority to negotiate for the town's best interest, nor will they have the power of enforcement for the license that the state issues. We believe in competition. But we see no reason why Verizon or any other applicant can't follow the process that has worked for every other cable provider.
So, here is the question: Do we want to be able to watch on channel 22 the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Conservation Commission, Advisory Board, Community Preservation Act Committee, Town Meetings, and on Channel 8 the Silver Set Gazette Video, School graduations, concerts, art shows, interviews with special Norfolk residents, Conversation Corner and Pop Warner football and Lion's soccer and many, many other great shows about Norfolk and its priceless people. Let us not be fooled into believing that lower prices are around the corner with the passage of this bill. The price is really too high to pay.
If you want to save NCTV , and preserve it as a solid community asset, please let you legislators know how you feel. Following is a list of the email addresses of your state Rep and Senator. Email them today before it is too late. Thank You.
Please email your concerns to: Rep. Richard Ross rep.richardross@hou.state.ma.us
Sen. Scott Brown: scott.p.brown@state.ma.us
Selectman Jonathan Smith: jsmith@virtualnorfolk.org
Selectman Jim Lehan: lehan@virtualnorfolk.org
Selectman Ramesh Advani: advani@virtualnorfolk.org
Town Administrator Jack Hathaway: hathaway@virtualnorfolk.orgor call the Cable Division of the Department of Telecommunications and Energy at 617-305-3580.
Paul Guertin NCTV Station Manager.
www.nctv-norfolk.com1/23/2007
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