California Lawmakers Vote to Overhaul Cable TV Franchising Process

Thousand Oaks, Calif. -- The California Senate Appropriations Committee has voted to overhaul the state's cable franchising process, approving a bill that would allow telecommunications firms to more easily launch digital video services in California. The bill has already passed in the Assembly and a Senate subcommittee, and is expected to be considered in the California Senate later this month. Verizon, which has invested "hundreds of millions of dollars" to build a new fiber-optic network to offer its FiOS TV digital TV service, lauded the vote. "Cable prices have risen 86% over the past 10 years, according to the Federal Communications Commission, yet in markets where there is a choice of cable providers, consumers pay 15% less for video service, on average," said Tim McCallion. Verizon's West region president
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