STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman PAUL D. MORIARTY
District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain CATV companies to offer a family-oriented and moderately-priced cable programming package to subscribers.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning cable television programming and rates and supplementing P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation or order to the contrary, the Office of Cable Television in the Board of Public Utilities shall require a cable television company that seeks approval of a system-wide franchise from the board pursuant to any law, to offer subscribers a family-oriented and moderately-priced tier of programming. The Office of Cable Television shall determine the number of family oriented channels to be included in the tier, except that such family programming tier shall also include at least four additional channels: one of which airs all news programming; one of which airs all weather programming; one of which offers primarily movies; and one of which offers history or travel programming, or both. The charge for such programming tier shall be at least 40 percent lower than the average price charged to customers receiving the "cable programming service" tier, as "cable programming service" is defined in 47 C.F.R. s.76.901, from a cable television company that has received a certificate of approval and municipal consent pursuant to P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.).
2. This act shall take effect 90 days after the enactment of legislation authorizing the approval of a system-wide franchise and upon the board's approval of a system-wide franchise.
STATEMENT
This bill directs the Office of Cable Television in the Board of Public Utilities to require a cable television company that received an approval of a system-wide franchise from the board pursuant to any law, to offer subscribers a family-oriented and moderately-priced tier of programming. The Office of Cable Television is to determine the number of channels to be included in the tier, except that such programming tier shall include at least four channels: one of which airs all news programming; one of which airs all weather programming; one of which offers primarily movies; and one of which offers history or travel programming, or both. The charge for such programming tier shall be at least 40 percent lower than the average price charged to customers receiving the "cable programming service" tier, as "cable programming service" is defined in 47 C.F.R. s.76.901, from a cable television company that has received a certificate of approval and municipal consent pursuant to the "Cable Television Act," P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.). This bill is intended to require cable television companies to offer subscribers an affordable alternative to programming tiers above the basic service tier.