Governors Protest Barton's National Franchise

GOVERNORS PROTEST BARTON'S NATIONAL FRANCHISE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
In a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Commerce Committee, the National Governors Association (NGA) wants the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act (H.R. 5252) changed to give states the option to take control of the cable-franchising process from the Federal Communications Commission. Under H.R. 5252, the FCC would take control of cable franchising of new entrants, such as AT&T and Verizon Communications, across the country. Cable incumbents are eligible for national franchises in certain cases, including if new providers enter their video markets under FCC licensing. The bill would continue to allow any cable-service provider to rely on a local or state franchise in lieu of a national franchise. But NGA argues that COPE would interfere with efforts by states to adopt statewide cable franchising in order to promote cable competition in a manner that does not ignore local needs. Texas, Virginia and Indiana have enacted statewide franchising. COPE, NGA says, “eviscerates these efforts with a federal framework that does not reflect the priorities and prerogatives of states.” NGA also objects to provisions that would allow local governments to offer cable, information or telecommunications service without state authorization. It calls the provisions “an unwarranted federal intrusion into state affairs … which preempts states’ ability to manage broadband deployment in its political subdivisions.”
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6339554.html?display=Breaking+News