Idaho Senate OKs Statewide Cable Franchising
Unanimous Consent Sends S1100 to House Committee
by Kent Gibbons -- Multichannel News, 3/11/2009 4:33:56 PM
Idaho's state Senate unanimously endorsed a statewide cable franchising measure that has now been forwarded to a House committee.
On Feb. 26, the Idaho Senate endorsed S1100 -- the Idaho Video Services Act -- by a vote of 34-0. The measure, supported by the Association of Idaho Cities, has been referred to the Idaho House's state affairs committee, according to Kathy Osborn, video services director for the city of Pocatello. Her city opposed the measure because it could harm the local public, educational and government channels that have served the community since 1973, she said.
The bill states that no political subdivision can compel a video services provider to provide funding, equipment or facilities for PEG programming, other than absorbing the cost of transmitting the channel or channels, once current franchise agreements expire. Osborn said the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck currently receive 30 cents per subscriber to support public and government channels there. Cable One operates in Pocatello.
Statewide franchising bills attempted previously in Idaho have never gotten out of committees, Osborn said.
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