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from: Chicago Tribune

Elected officials learn- in Vegas
Cable TV industry sponsors junket

By Jeffrey Meitrodt and Monique Garcia
Tribune staff reporters
Published May 8, 2007

SPRINGFIELD -- With lawmakers wrestling over a highly contentious bill that would dramatically overhaul the cable television business in Illinois, the industry took at least 11 House and Senate members to Las Vegas last weekend for schmoozing and schooling.

from: Pantagraph.com

Lawmakers head to Vegas for cable TV conference

By Kurt Erickson
kurt.erickson@lee.net
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SPRINGFIELD -- It’s a weekend in Las Vegas for some Illinois lawmakers. With just a month left in the legislative session, an estimated 12 to 14 members of the Illinois House and Senate are spending the next couple of days at a trade show for the cable television industry.

from: Belleville News Democrat

AT&T's cable service push draws intense debate at Capitol

RYAN KEITH
Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Jay Rubinic doesn't care how he gets it. He just wants his cable TV.

Rubinic said he's fed up with his current cable provider, Comcast Corp., after a recent outage stretched into nearly two weeks of poor service and frustrating waits for a repairman. But because Comcast has a franchise agreement with Chicago and dominates that market, Rubinic feels he has no other cable choice.

from: SJ-R.com

Cable, phone industries up donations
Stakes high in fight over bill to promote competition

By DANA HEUPEL
STATE CAPITOL BUREAU

Published Saturday, April 14, 2007

As debate heats up over legislation to ease the way for telephone companies to compete with cable television firms, a new study shows that both sides have donated large sums to Illinois lawmakers and the governor over the past two years.

CMW NewsTips

Cable Deregulation Challenged
Newstip Date: 04-16-2007

Growing attention on a proposed statewide cable franchise bill could slow a legislative blitz by supporters of telecommunications giant AT&T.

State Representative James Brosnahan (D-Oak Lawn) was expecting the House Telecommunications Committee he chairs to vote Wednesday to approve HB 1500, the franchise bill he has sponsored, but the vote could be delayed. The bill would strip local municipalities of cable franchising power and create state franchises authorized by the Illinois Commerce Commission, going far toward deregulating the industry in Illinois.

from: Daily Herald

Cable plan riles towns, Proponents say more competition would result

BY HARRY HITZEMAN
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Saturday, April 07, 2007

Springfield lawmakers expect changes to a controversial bill that cities fear will give companies like AT&T carte blanche over where large utility boxes are located.

from: global.freifunk.net

Opposition to HB1500 Continues to Grow -- Peter Collins Speaks Out.

As I reported at the beginning of March, one of the worst state franchise bills I've ever read was introduced by James Brosnahan to the Illinois legislature. I can only imagine that the goal was to fast-track this bill and sneak it through before the public got organized enough to demand that it be withdrawn. It is, to say the least, a horrendous bill, eliminating local control, gutting consumer protections and legally protecting telecom providers who wish to redline the poor and rural. This bill is, in almost every regard, directly contrary to the best interests of the general public. Luckily, thought leaders and consumer advocates from across the state have been waging a educational campaign to let people people know about this travesty. Peter Collins has been leading the charge and his recent letter to Brosnahan is included below.

from: Midwest Business

HB 1500 is the Katrina of Telecommunications in Illinois
4/4/2007

Carlini’s Comments, MidwestBusiness.com’s oldest column, runs every Wednesday. Its mission is to offer the common man’s view on business and technology issues while questioning the leadership and visions of “pseudo” experts.

From: The Business Ledger

‘Clash of Wills’ as AT&T Makes $4.6 Billion Cable Move

April 4, 2007

Promising increased competition and consumer advocacy, AT&T is investing $4.6 billion in a national move into the cable industry, yet many area municipalities have accused the telecommunications giant of pursuing anything but fair competition.

Note: For over a year, Geneva, a small Illinois town of 19,000, has been fighting a pitched battle against the 240 billion dollar AT&T.

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