  pdBerg
@att.net
| reply to MichaelWacey Re: Why should local governments have this power?
Michael, Would you want Starbucks to open a cafe in town hall without paying the town rent? I think not. Cable company fees to local municipalities are "rent" for their uses of the public right-of-way. PROW fees have long been the rule in the cable TV industry, and they make sense because the usage of PROW's in each community differ, and one size does not fit all.
Cable TV is not a "utility" -- that is, something vital for the public necessity and convenience. It is a private entertainment service. I do not believe cable TV operator regulation should be something paid for by all taxpayers, but only by cable subscribing residents.
pdBerg |