Re: Hub TV in Western Mass....

[Tony Abruzzese <abruzzese@biochem.bumc.bu.edu>]

Dan Billings wrote:

 >
 >If the lawmaker wants to pass a state law to force the cable companies to
 >carry Boston TV stations, the cable companies could probably argue
 >successfully in court that the federal most-carry rules have preempted the
 >field and the states can't pass laws regulating what stations cable
 >companies carry.
 >
OTOH, cable franchise contracts are negotiated on a town-by-town basis.
I believe that if the contract requires that the cable company carry 
specific stations/channels, then they must carry them, regardless of the 
federal must-carry rules (which only state minimum requirements).

The big variable is the relative strength of the local individual cable 
commissions.  Strong cable commission = greater bargaining power at 
renewal time.

There may be other contractual issues to be settled, but those would be 
between the cable company and the individual local stations.



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Tony Abruzzese                  e-mail: abruzzese@biochem.bumc.bu.edu
Network Administrator                         Biochemistry Department
               Boston University School of Medicine
Telephone:617.638.5092                               Fax:617.638.5339
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