Source: https://ecode360.com/13077969
Timestamp: 2018-11-20 17:54:12
Document Index: 50074506

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 35', '§ 35', '§ 35', '§ 35', '§ 76', '§ 76']

Borough of Pennsburg, PA Regulation of Franchise
Ch 35 Art IV Regulation of Franchise
§ 35-16 Regulatory authority.
§ 35-17 Supervision of the franchise.
§ 35-18 Cable Television Advisory Board.
§ 35-19 Rates and charges.
Chapter 35 Cable Television
Article IV: Regulation of Franchise
Chapter 35: Cable Television Article IV Regulation of Franchise
The Borough shall exercise appropriate regulatory authority under the provisions of this chapter and applicable federal law. This authority shall be vested in the Borough Council and administered through the Borough Manager or Borough Secretary or his designee in order to provide day-to-day administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and any franchise granted hereunder and to carry out the Borough's responsibilities with regard to cable communications.
The Borough reserves the right to exercise the maximum plenary authority, as may at any time be lawfully permissible, to regulate the cable system, the franchise and the grantee. Should applicable legislative, judicial or regulatory authorities at any time permit regulation not presently permitted to the Borough, the Borough may, without the approval of the grantee, engage in any such additional regulation as may then be permissible, whether or not contemplated by this chapter, including regulation regarding rates charged to subscribers and users and consumer protection standards.
Any right, power, protection, privilege or immunity which is provided, granted or imposed on the grantee under or by virtue of the Cable Act, as it may be amended or interpreted from time to time after the date hereof, shall remain inviolate and shall be available to the grantee notwithstanding any contrary provision of the franchise agreement, and the acceptance of the terms and conditions of this franchise shall not be construed as a waiver or release by the grantee of any right, power, protection, privilege, immunity or obligation under the Cable Act, the laws or the Constitution of the United States or the laws or the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Nothing herein, nor the grantee's acceptance hereof, shall be construed to deny the grantee the right to seek administrative and/or judicial review of any action or threaten action by the Borough under, or arising out of, a franchise.
The Borough shall have the following regulatory responsibility:
Administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and any franchise agreement.
Award, renewal, extension or revocation of a franchise pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the franchise agreement and other applicable law.
Consent prior to transfer of any franchise granted hereunder.
Enforcement of customer service standards.
Rate regulation, to the extent authorized and/or elected by the Borough under federal law. If the Borough elects to regulate rates, it will comply with all FCC regulations.
The Borough also reserves the right to perform the following functions and all other functions allowed by law, present or future:
Develop objective and coordinate activities related to the operation of any local government channel.
Approve procedures and standards for public, government and educational access and operations, services and facilities.
Formulate and recommend long-range telecommunications policy for the Borough and determine the future cable-related needs and interests of the community.
Provide the administrative effort necessary for the conduct of performance evaluations and any other activities required for the administration of the franchise.
Monitor grantee's adherence to operational standards, service requirements and line extension policies.
Assure compliance with applicable laws and ordinances.
Assure continuity in service.
The Borough may in its discretion create a citizen's committee entitled the "Cable Television Advisory Board" (CAB). The responsibilities of the CAB shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
Monitor and advise the Borough Council and Borough administration on the performance of the grantee under the provisions of the Borough's cable television ordinance, franchise agreement and related applicable ordinances.
Serve as advisory body with respect to the public, educational and local government access channels of cable television and any institutional programming that may be developed.
Advise the Borough government of objectives to be obtained in the Borough's cable system based upon its continued evaluation of the Borough's cable television franchise, cable technology, performance of the grantee and the future cable-related needs and interests of the community.
Prepare an annual report to the Borough Council on the activities of the CAB and the performance of the grantee.
Cooperate with the Borough and the grantee in fulfilling its responsibilities herein.
The CAB shall be composed of at least three residents of the Borough who shall be appointed by the Borough Council and who shall serve without compensation for terms of one, two and three years respectively. Members shall not be employees of, nor have any financial interest in, a grantee or a parent or subsidiary corporation of a grantee.
Grantee shall file with the Borough schedules, which shall describe all services offered, all rates and charges of any kind and all terms and conditions relating thereto, on the effective date of the franchise and 30 days prior to any change. Notice of all proposed rate changes must be filed with the Borough at least 30 days prior to any change. If the Borough elects to regulate rates pursuant to the Cable Act, the Borough will comply with all FCC regulations. Pursuant to 47 CFR § 76.309(c), grantee shall notify subscribers at least 30 days prior to the implementation of any change in services offered, rates charged or terms and conditions related thereto. As well, options for programming services and conditions for subscriptions to programming and other services shall be mailed to subscribers annually.
Grantee shall establish rates that are nondiscriminatory within the same general class of subscribers, which must be applied fairly and uniformly to all subscribers in the franchise area for all services. Nothing contained herein shall prohibit the grantee from offering discounts to commercial and multiple-family dwelling subscribers billed on a bulk basis; promotional discounts; and senior citizens and economically disadvantaged individuals, or require the same. Grantee's charges and rates for all services shall be itemized on subscriber's monthly bills.
Pursuant to 47 CFR § 76.309(c), grantee shall, in the case of a billing or other dispute, respond to a written complaint from a subscriber within 30 days.