Connecticut House Bill HB06436

Connecticut 2015 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/23/15
• Refer: 1/23/15

Caption

An Act Stabilizing The Funding For The Connecticut Institution Of Community Access Television.

Impact

If passed, this bill would amend existing statutes related to community access television funding, potentially leading to an increase in financial resources available to local stations. By embracing all subscribers of multichannel video programming distributors for fee collections, the legislation would help create a more reliable revenue stream for community television operations which are essential for local information dissemination and public engagement.

Summary

House Bill 06436, titled 'An Act Stabilizing The Funding For The Connecticut Institution Of Community Access Television', aims to provide a more stable financial framework for community access television operations in Connecticut. The core provision of the bill allows companies or organizations handling community access operations to collect community access fees from all subscribers of any services offered by multichannel video programming distributors such as cable television, internet, and telephone services. This is intended to ensure that local community broadcasts have the necessary funding to operate effectively and serve their communities.

Contention

While the bill has notable support among local television advocates who argue that it is crucial for the sustainability of community programming, there may be concerns among various stakeholders regarding the implications of mandatory fee collection. Opponents could argue that this forceful fee collection may lead to dissatisfaction among subscribers, especially if they feel that they receive minimal value from community access channels. The effectiveness of this funding strategy could be debated as well, particularly how it may affect smaller providers or new entrants in the telecommunications market.