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I <br />f' <br />i- ■ <br />State Legislatures <br />Fairly r ulet for Cable <br />By RACHEL W. <br />THOMPSON <br />J|B Ithough it's too ear- <br />iy to predict what <br />■ B the first six months <br />flU cf 1992 hold in s- <br />mTwk tore for cable oper- <br />itors regarding state iegisla- <br />ivc activity, a survey of two <br />loaen stales re/eals a pic- <br />jre of relative calm. <br />That's fortunate, some <br />)bbyists said, because the <br />tdustry has in many stales <br />jcome deeply involved <br />ith telecommunications in- <br />astnicture and deiegulation <br />ksues at public service com­ <br />missions, a whole new ter- <br />^rain and one traditionally <br />dominated by the telcos. <br />Also, with the U.S. House <br />of Representatives poised to <br />take up the twin issues of ca- <br />On Cable’s Plate in the States: <br />A Snapshot <br />AtifiniPSC Tcleo Rattes/ <br />California iHfiaaiiactBira <br />Michigan Illinois <br />Rorida Pennsylvania <br />Maine * * * <br />Massachusetts Mo charvoo far <br />Now Jersey ■eMI aertlats <br />Now York New York <br />Ohio Wisconsin <br />Tennessee ^ ^ 0 <br />Soiaica aHirtioer/ <br /># #1 aiita«a raliataa <br />In Ml* Lvflelartare New York <br />Tax0S/Franchls» Fees Wisconsin <br />Rorida » <br />Massachusetts Franclileo <br />Missouri ronearala <br />South Dakota 1 Connecticut <br />Tennessee ? Massachi'jetts <br />Virginia i Wlsvunsln <br />According to Tom Steel, <br />vice president of the New <br />Fngland Cable TV Associ­ <br />ation, "There is a certain <br />feeling that we have that <br />they’re waiting, to see in the <br />end what kind of powers <br />they do have.*' <br />In the meantime, he said, <br />"the whole debate is shift­ <br />ing" away from cable service <br />per se, towird technology is­ <br />sues. "We're real concerned <br />about getting our telecom <br />munications image built up." <br />In the New Jersey legis­ <br />lature. where dozens of ca­ <br />ble bills generally circulate <br />during any two-year ses­ <br />sion, not a single measure <br />has appeared since the new­ <br />ly Republican-controlled <br />legislature came into ses­ <br />sion. <br />Wki^X%*Illa"tionTnd c^mpeti cable's grass- 'Tm fainting b«au.se there’s usually <br />roots lobbying efforts will be especially time-con- Jersey Cable TV Association executive director Nan <br />___;__,1.;- cv Becker.suming this year. <br />In some ca.scs. legislatures are in short sc.ssions fo- i.awmancrs gni i a <br />cused on iipocific issues, generally bodgels and shifi in control, she ,* '^«hich <br />schools; in others, lawmakers are in the second yea, n,canons statute was enwtrf 7' ' » ^,70^?,, <br />-f U1 ___:..I ranet ndau, hills BIT bcioE in- must be now implemented by the state Board of Rcg- <br />cy Becker. <br />Lawmakers got off to a slow start because of the <br />schools; in others, lawmakers are in the second year nications siatuic was <br />of biennial sessions and few new bills are being in- must be now implemented by the state Board of Rcg- <br />troduccd. Commissioners......................................... <br />somc^u^nc^sllon may'^ "’ay also stem from the Washington debate. Lob- <br />ton events to determine how much authority they can bying House men <br />and want to exercise over the industry. <br />atory v^onirni.s.siunci^. <br />But Becker speculated that the lack of cable activ­ <br />ity may also stem from the Washington debate. Lob­ <br />bying House members, along with discussions at the