Section 211. Statement of policy  


Latest version.
  • While cable television serves in part as
      an extension of interstate broadcasting, its operations  involve  public
      rights-of-way,  municipal  franchising, and vital business and community
      service, and, therefore, are of state  concern;  while  said  operations
      must  be  subject  to  state oversight, they also must be protected from
      undue restraint and regulation  so  as  to  assure  cable  systems  with
      optimum  technology  and maximum penetration in this state as rapidly as
      economically and technically  feasible;  municipalities  and  the  state
      would  benefit  from  valuable  educational  and public services through
      cable television systems; the public and the  business  community  would
      benefit  if  served  by  cable  channels sufficient to meet the needs of
      producers and distributors of program and  other  communication  content
      services; many municipalities lack the necessary resources and expertise
      to  plan  for  and  secure these benefits and to protect subscribers and
      other parties to the public  interest  in  franchise  negotiations;  the
      cable  television  industry is in a period of rapid growth and corporate
      consolidation and should proceed in accord with regional  and  statewide
      service  objectives;  and the cable television industry, notwithstanding
      its  unique  attributes,  is  part   of   an   increasingly   integrated
      communications  industry,  the  soundness  of  which is essential to the
      state's economic growth and general welfare.
        There is, therefore, a need for a  state  agency  to  determine  state
      communications policy; to ensure that cable television companies provide
      adequate,  economical  and  efficient  service to their subscribers, the
      municipalities within which they are franchised and other parties to the
      public interest; to  oversee  the  development  of  a  cable  television
      industry  responsive  to  community  and public interest, consonant with
      federal regulations and statutes; and to oversee the development of  the
      communications  industry  as  a  whole and to encourage the endeavors of
      public  and  private  institutions,  municipalities,  associations   and
      organizations in developing programming for the public interest.
        The  public  service  commission  is the agency best suited to oversee
      development of the cable television industry in this state in accordance
      with a statewide service plan and consistent with  state  communications
      policy generally; to review the suitability of practices for franchising
      cable  television  companies  to  protect  the  public  interest; to set
      standards for cable  television  systems  and  franchise  practices;  to
      assure   channel   availability   for  municipal  services,  educational
      television, program diversity, local expression and  other  program  and
      communications  content  services;  to  provide  consultant  services to
      community organizations and municipalities and  franchise  negotiations;
      and, to stimulate the development of diverse instructional, educational,
      community  interest  and  public  affairs  programming  with full access
      thereto by cable  television  companies,  educational  broadcasters  and
      public  and  private  institutions  operating  closed circuit television
      systems and instructional television fixed services.