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u <br />0 <br />L� <br />• <br />• <br />3. Limitations on Municipal Franchise Powers <br />S. 66 would grant cable operators what amounts to almost an absolute right to <br />have their franchises renewed. Under the bill, the city would be required to <br />renew an expiring CATV franchise unless it can be shown that: (a) the cable <br />operator failed to comply with the requirements of the franchise; (b) the <br />operator was convicted of a felony; or (c) the operator made unreasonable <br />demands in his or her franchise renewal application. Additionally, S. 66 <br />would require the city council to review, de novo, any previous decision not <br />to renew a franchise if the operator can show that the city failed to provide <br />an opportunity for consideration of all related issues or failed to arrange an <br />independent review of its decision not to renew the franchise. <br />Additionally, S. 66 invalidates all municipal franchise provisions in conflict <br />with the Act. <br />4. Abolish City Limitations on Crossownerships <br />S. 66 bars cities from prohibiting a person from owning a CATV company by <br />reason of his or her ownership of other media. <br />5. Other Provisions <br />S. 66 contains several other provisions which preserve certain existing muni- <br />cipal powers to control the overall performance of CATV operators. (See NLC <br />summary and copy of S. 66, attached). However, these provisions do not alter <br />the bottom line effect of the legislation --that being the abolishment of muni- <br />cipal ratemaking authority and preemption of local CATV regulatory powers by <br />the federal government. <br />