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Note: On the FCC agenda is an order to give cable companies the same leverage against cities that the Commission gave the telcos last December. Skip to the last paragraph.

from: Multichannel News

FCC Poised To Extend Program Access Rules
Vote Would Benefit DirecTV and EchoStar

By Ted Hearn

from: CNN

FCC's McDowell: Video Franchise Rules Extended To Cable Soon
Dow Jones
August 20, 2007: 02:15 PM EST

ASPEN, Colo. -(Dow Jones)- Federal Communications Commission staffers are finalizing plans to streamline the process of applying for a video franchise, in a move that would see the rules extended to incumbent cable companies, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell said Monday.

from: Rocky Mountain news

Qwest playing hardball to gain cable franchise

By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News
August 7, 2007
Qwest Communications, rebuffed in previous efforts to land cable TV franchises in Colorado, is now playing hardball.

The Denver telco is giving the city of Arvada 90 days to decide whether to accept a video franchise application.

from: Denver Business journal

Qwest wants video franchise in Arvada

The Denver Business Journal - 3:26 PM MDT Monday, August 6, 2007
by Greg Avery
Denver Business Journal

Qwest Communications International Inc. seeks its second video franchise agreement with a community in its headquarters city and is making use of federal rules designed to make the process move quickly, the company announced Monday.

from: Broadcast Newsroom

Coalition Blasts FCC for Unlawful, Arbitrary and Capricious Ruling on Video Franchising

By PR Newswire

WASHINGTON, July 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire

In a Brief filed today, a coalition of local government and non-profit groups asks the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to overturn the video franchising Order issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in March 2007. The groups argue that the FCC had no statutory authority, acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner, and violated public notice requirements when it issued its Order.

from: Thurston Community TV

What the FCC?
Saturday, June 23, 2007

Local Governments Ask Court to Stay FCC Ruling on Video Franchising

Washington, DC – June 20, 2007 –
Local government and nonprofit organizations from around the country today asked a federal appeals court to block, pending judicial review, implementation of the recent franchising order adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which may otherwise go fully into effect in the next several weeks. The organizations assert that the FCC Order will severely restrict the ability of local governments to protect their citizens, rights-of-way, community channels and public safety networks. The organizations assert that the request for Stay is in the public interest since, among other things, under the FCC Order, "local franchising authorities will be forced to rush franchising decisions without being given an opportunity to ensure the interests of the public, including safety concerns, are met."

from: AP News

Verizon Paid Lobbyist $80K

Thursday June 21, 6:33 pm ET
Verizon Paid the Udwin Group $80,000 in Second Half of 2006 for Cable TV Franchise Reform

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Verizon Communications Inc. paid the Udwin Group $80,000 in the second half of 2006 to lobby the federal government on cable television franchise reform, according to a disclosure form.

from: Telecom Web

Joint Motion Seeks A Delay Of Video-Franchise Order

Local government and nonprofits have asked a federal appeals court to block, pending judicial review, implementation of the recent franchising order adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that's scheduled to go into effect in the next several weeks (TelecomWeb news break, March 6).

from: Broadcasting & Cable

Cities Seek Stay Of FCC Video Franchise Changes

By John Eggerton 6/20/2007 2:13:00 PM

Groups representing local governments and nonprofit organizations have gone to court to try to block changes to the FCC's video franchising rules.

In a motion filed with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday to stay enforcement of the FCC order, the groups said the changes will "severely restrict the ability of local governments to protect their citizens, rights-of-way, community channels, and public safety networks."

from: Reclaim the Media

The Year of cable discontent

by David Hatch, Tech Daily

For the cable industry, 2007 could be a year of discontent. Lost among the headlines about the transition to digital television and efforts to rejuvenate telecommunications legislation is a bevy of proposals that threaten to reshape the subscription television business.