October 31, 2005

Congress is debating legislation that would nationalize video franchising. Meet with your members in the House and Senate and urge them not to support any legislation that would, including the Video Choice Act of 2005 (H.R. 3146 & S. 1349) and the Broadband Consumer Choice Act of 2005:

• Preempt local government’s franchise authority of cable and telephone providers entering the local video market.

• Preempt local government’s longstanding authority to management and collect rent for use of public rights-of-way.

• Does not require reasonable build out of video services to all citizens, regardless of income or location.

• Preempts local government customer service and consumer protection standards on video service providers.

Franchises do not just provide permission to offer video services, they are the core tool local government uses to manage streets and sidewalks, provide for public safety, enhance competition, and to collect compensation for private use of public land. Eliminating local franchises will cause chaos and deprive local government of the power to perform its basic functions.