HomeMy WebLinkAbout90-017 RESOLUTION
DATE February 20, 1990 RESOLUTION No . 90-17
MOTION BY Ruhmann SECONDED BY Sindt
RESOLUTION URGING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO REVISE THE
CABLE COMMUNICATIONS POLICY ACT OF 1984, AND EXPRESSING GENERAL
CONCERN ABOUT THE NEED FOR GREATER LOCAL GOVERNMENT REGULATORY
AUTHORITY.
WHEREAS, the Cable Communications Act of 1984 restricted
states' and local governments' abilities to regulate the cable
television industry directly; and
WHEREAS, since the passage of the Cable Communications Act
of 1984, concentrations of ownership amounting to monopolies have
increased among cable operators, even though that Act was
intended to "promote competition in cable communications and
minimize unnecessary regulations that impose undue economic
burden on cable systems;" and
WHEREAS, municipalities throughout the nation, including The
City of Lakeville, Minnesota, have been subjected to substantial
rate increases, service reductions, and programming changes that
do not reflect consumers' needs or the original intentions of
their franchise agreements; and
WHEREAS, mare than half of the nation's households, and more
than half of the residents. of our City subscribe to cable, and
cable television is increasingly becoming the main means of
access to information and entertainment; and
WHEREAS, cable subscribers in our City have been subjected
to rate increases of basic service of 90 percent over the past
three years; and
WHEREAS, cable television is rapidly being priced beyond the
reach of lower-income people, including families with children
and the elderly, who are particularly in need of information and
other services that are available solely through cable
television; and
WHEREAS, the diversity of information services promised by
the 1984 Cable Communications Act has failed to materialize; and
1
WHEREAS, existing law provides our City and other
franchising authorities no authority to control or question the
imposition by cable franchisees of exorbitant rates upon citizens
whose rights-of-way have been placed at the companies' disposal
by virtue of the grant of franchises; and
WHEREAS, the National League of Cities has adopted policie s
in favor of increasing local governments' cable regulatory
authority and in favor of more competition in the provision of
.cable television service to consumers; and
WHEREAS, legislation that is naw pending in the Congress of
the United States seeks comprehensive changes in the Cable
Communications Policy Act of 1984.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT
1. The City Council of Lakeville declares its support
for the restoration of Local regulatory authority over
cable television systems as detailed in the National
League of Cities Resolution on Communications as passed
in December, 1988.
2. The Congress of the United States should rewrite the
Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, with
particular focus on regulation of subscriber rates,
allowance of telephone company provision of cable
service under circumstances that respect local
government authority, system ownership transfers, the
.impact of vertical integration in the cable industry,
and other aspects of the Act that directly impact local
regulation and consumers.
3. The City Council of Lakeville urges Congressional
action for appropriate federal legislation to restore
local authority over cable systems, to eliminate the
barriers to competition, and to rectify other aspects
of the 1984 Act that work to disfavor cable consumers.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of
Lakeville, this 20th day of February, 1990.
Gity of Lakeville
D ane Zaun, Ma or
ATTEST:
Charlene Friedges, Ci Clerk
2