Section 211. Statement of policy

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.