Bill Text: NJ S55 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires notice requirements by CATV companies for changes to station channel positions to be consistent with federal law.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S55 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-S55-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator PETER J. BARNES, III
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires notice requirements by CATV companies for changes to station channel positions to be consistent with federal law.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning notice of cable television channel position changes 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. Any rule, regulation, or order of the board requiring a CATV company to provide notice to its subscribers of a change in channel position of programming carried by the CATV company shall only require the CATV company to provide such notice in a manner consistent with the provisions of 47 C.F.R. s.76.1603 or any other applicable federal law or regulation.
2. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after the date of enactment, but the Board of Public Utilities may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires that any rule, regulation, or order of the Board of Public Utilities ("board") requiring a cable television ("CATV") company to provide notice to its subscribers of a change in channel position of programming carried by the CATV company shall only require the CATV company to provide such notice in a manner consistent with the provisions of 47 C.F.R. s.76.1603 or any other applicable federal law or regulation. In part, the provisions of 47 C.F.R. s.76.1603 state that a CATV franchising authority may require CATV company subscribers to be notified of any changes in channel positions as soon as possible in writing and that notice must be given to CATV company subscribers a minimum of 30 days in advance of such changes if the change is within the control of the CATV company. Current board regulations impose notice requirements on CATV companies that are in addition to those allowed under 47 C.F.R. s.76.1603.
