New Jersey Franchising Debate On Hold During Budget Session

NEW JERSEY FRANCHISING DEBATE ON HOLD DURING BUDGET SESSION
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Michael Martinez]
After a splash of activity last week, the legislative debate on cable franchising in New Jersey is heading for the backburner again. A Senate panel approved a bill to establish statewide franchising rules on March 13, but further action will not come until May, when the legislature reconvenes after its April budget break. Only the budget committees will meet during the next month. New Jersey has become a key battleground in the fight between cable and telephone companies over the ability of local governments to award video franchises. Verizon Communications, the dominant telephone provider in the Garden State, is pushing a bill that would allow the company to bypass local rules and obtain a statewide franchise to enter the video market. A bill to streamline the franchising process appeared to be on the fast track for passage last fall, but the measure died at the end of the legislature's "lame duck" session in January. The Senate Economic Growth Committee approved a new proposal, S. 192, on a 4-0 vote last week. The latest version of the bill would empower the state Board of Public Utilities with the exclusive authority to regulate video franchises. The measure would require entrants to provide service to the state's most densely populated areas, and it would hike franchising fees for all video services from 2 percent to 4 percent.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-BCOZ1143143879465.htm...

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