After hearing the fourth version of the bill this session, the House State Affairs Committee turned down a state video franchising bill this morning by a vote of 11-6. I voted against the bill, but thought the vote would be closer. QWEST had sought to bypass local jurisdiction franchising processes by establishing a state wide franchising model for cable services. There were a number of different concerns including reduced access to Public Access Channels, increased fees, potential cherry picking of areas, and loss of local control. Opponents included CableOne, Comcast, and local public service stations. Several cities had been opposed, but moved to a neutral position after some adjustments to the bill, nevertheless, there was still an undercurrent of concern over loss of local control over the franchising process. One opponent pointed out that only 19 states have gone this way, and none of Idaho’s neighbors have a state franchising system. Impacts from those states adopting statewide franchising has been mixed, with loss of PEG channels and competition in some areas, despite claims that statewide franchising increases competition.
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Representative Lynn Luker 