Franchising on the Hill

Don’t look for House Commerce to vote on a controversial natl franchising proposal until at least Mar 29, Rep Fred Upton (R-MI) told reporters on Capitol Hill Tues. The House Telecom and ‘Net Subcmte chmn says he is trying to get cable on board with his bill. Lots of changes would have to be made for cable to support it, which would provide a national franchise for telcos but keep cable tied to existing local franchises until Bells hit 15% local market penetration. Redlining: Rep Hilda Solis (D-CA) asked House Commerce to include provisions in its video franchising bill that would not allow telcos to redline. "I would ask the Committee to ensure that a video service providers’ entire footprint is covered," she said in a letter to chmn Joe Barton (R-TX) and ranking member John Dingell (D-MI).