Sec. 16-333f. Programming and rate changes. Regulatory authority. Industry cooperation. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 16-333f. Programming and rate changes. Regulatory authority. Industry cooperation. (a) Each community antenna television company shall inform the Department of Public Utility Control, each subscriber, the chairpersons of the joint standing committee having cognizance of matters relating to public utilities and the chairperson of the company's advisory council of any planned programming or rate changes not less than thirty days unless otherwise required by federal law prior to implementing such changes unless (1) such changes are required by law to be made in less than thirty days or (2) the department prescribes a longer or shorter notice period in appropriate circumstances where such longer or shorter notice period is in the best interest of the company's subscribers. The company's advisory council may hold an advisory public hearing concerning the planned changes and may then make a recommendation to the company prior to the planned implementation date. The department shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to carry out the purposes of this subsection.

      (b) The Department of Public Utility Control shall file a written certification with the Federal Communications Commission for designation as the franchising authority exercising the regulatory authority permitted under the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, P.L. 102-385.

      (c) The Department of Public Utility Control shall encourage cooperation between community antenna television companies and local television broadcast stations in order to further the public interest concerning the provision of video programming and community antenna television services, thus ensuring the widest possible range of programming choices for all residents of the state at the lowest possible cost to all residents of the state.

      (P.A. 81-393, S. 3; P.A. 88-202, S. 5; P.A. 91-244, S. 3; P.A. 93-28, S. 1, 2; P.A. 98-121, S. 9; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 7.)

      History: P.A. 88-202 amended the section by requiring each company to notify each subscriber and the chairpersons of the energy committee of any programming change and that each notice be made not less than 45 days prior to the change unless a short time prescribed by law or the department prescribes a different time; P.A. 91-244 added provision requiring information about rate changes to be provided to the department, subscribers, the advisory council and the energy and public utilities committee; P.A. 93-28 designated former provisions as Subsec. (a), amended Subsec. (a) by increasing the notice requirement from 45 to 60 days, added provision authorizing advisory councils to hold public hearings and requiring regulations concerning the Subsec. rather than the Sec., added a new Subsec. (b) requiring the department to file with the FCC as the regulatory authority, and added a new Subsec. (c) requiring the department to encourage cooperation between community antenna television companies and local television broadcast stations, effective May 4, 1993; P.A. 98-121 amended Subsec. (a) by changing notice from 60 days to 30 days; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change to Subsec. (a).