Cable Channels 16 & 22
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Cable Channels 16 & 22 |
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city government news & events about apple valley employment resources |
Cable Channels 16 and 22 > Franchises | |||||||||||||||
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Cable Franchise Agreements
A Franchise Agreement is required for a company to provide cable television service in a community. The requirements for a Franchise Agreement are defined in the United States 1996 Telecommunications Act, and Chapter 238 of the Minnesota State Statutes. Communities may enter into Franchise Agreements individually, or collectively as a Joint Powers Commission. Communities with individual agreements may also form commissions to administer them cooperatively.
A Franchise Agreement is essentially a contract that establishes the terms and conditions for the use of the Public Right of Way by a cable company to provide service and do business in a community. The franchise is non-exclusive. This means that the City does NOT limit cable service to a single provider, although in many cases, only one provider has entered the market. The granting of exclusive franchises is not permitted under Minnesota state law, and any company or entity that can demonstrate the financial and administrative capacity to operate a system may apply for one. The entity receiving a franchise is designated as the Franchisee, and the community or commission is identified as the Franchise Authority.
The current Franchise Agreement that the cable company has with each of the cities of Apple Valley, Farmington, and Rosemount are for a term of fifteen years, and will expire in 2014. The cable company cannot change ownership during the term of the franchise without the approval of the Franchise Authority. For information about cable programming, questions, concerns or complaints about the cable TV service, please contact the Cable Coordinator at (952) 953-2502.
Content updated on: 25-May-2004
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