The regulation of video service providers and interim cable operators, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty

In addition, the bill requires a video service provider to apply to the PSC to renew a video service franchise every five years. Current law does not require renewal of a video service franchise. The PSC may not renew a video service franchise under the bill if the PSC determines that the video service provider has exhibited a pattern of noncompliance with requirements under current law relating to video service, including state consumer protection requirements, as well as regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that are described below. Also, the bill allows the PSC to revoke a video service franchise if the PSC makes the same determination. Under current law, DFI may revoke a video service franchise if DFI determines that a video service provider fails to substantially meet a material requirement imposed by the DFI.

The bill also allows a municipality to require a video service provider that provides service in the municipality a quarterly video service fee of no more than 5 percent of the provider's gross receipts. Under current law, under certain circumstances, a municipality may be limited to a percentage that is less than 5 percent. In addition, the bill repeals a provision created by 2007 Wisconsin Act 42 that allows a video service provider to deduct right-of-way permit fees imposed by a municipality from any other compensation that is due to the municipality, including the video service fee.

Current law requires certain video service providers that use telecommunications facilities to provide video service to comply with two deadlines for providing access to their video service. The deadlines apply if the video service provider had more than 500,000 basic local exchange access lines in this state on January 1, 2007. The first deadline requires such a video service provider to provide access to 35 percent of households within the provider's basic local exchange service area no later than three years after beginning to provide video service. The second deadline requires such a video service provider to provide access to 50 percent of such households no later than five years after beginning to provide video service, or no later than two years after at least 30 percent of households with access to the provider's video service subscribe to the service for six consecutive months, whichever is later. Under certain circumstances, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) can grant an extension or waiver of the deadlines. This bill eliminates the foregoing deadlines and creates a new deadline.

Under the bill such a video service provider must provide access to 90 percent of such households no later than 18 months after the bill's effective date. A video service provider that fails to meet the deadline must pay $20,000,000 to the PSC, which must use the money to make grants to assist in the deployment of broadband service to underserved areas of the state. As under current law, under certain circumstances, DATCP can grant an extension or waiver of the deadline.

Current law prohibits municipalities from requiring video service providers and interim cable operators to provide monetary support for access facilities for public, educational, and governmental access channels (PEG channels) after January 1, 2011. The amount of monetary support that a municipality may require before that date is generally based on the amount of support that a municipality required prior to the enactment of 2007 Wisconsin Act 42 . This bill changes current law so that it refers to support for PEG channels, rather than to monetary support for access facilities for PEG channels. The bill also allows a municipality to require, beginning on January 1, 2011, video service providers and interim cable operators to pay a fee for the purpose of supporting PEG channels. The fee, which must be set by ordinance, may be equal to no more than 1 percent of a video service provider's or interim cable operator's annual gross receipts. The bill also makes video service providers and interim cable operators responsible for making any changes to PEG channel content or programming that are necessary for compatibility with their service delivery technology or protocol. Under current law, municipalities that provide PEG channel programming are responsible for such changes. The bill also requires video service providers and interim cable operators to provide channel capacity for PEG channels with accessibility, functionality, and audio and visual quality that is at least equivalent to certain commercial channels. In addition, the bill requires video service providers and interim cable operators to do the following:

1) provide channel capacity for PEG channels so that it is viewable by subscribers without additional service or equipment charges; 2) provide such channel capacity on a service tier that is viewable by 100 percent of customers, rather than by more than 50 percent, which is required under current law; and 3) provide facilities adequate to carry signals for PEG channels without material degradation, alteration, or removal of PEG channel content. Also, the bill imposes requirements on the channel numbers used for PEG channels and clarifies duties under current law regarding the relocation of origination points for PEG channels. Additionally, the bill eliminates the authority of a video service provider or interim cable operator to provide certain restored PEG channel capacity on any service tier.

Current law also requires video service providers to pay annual fees to DFI. If a video service provider has 10,000 or less subscribers, the first annual fee is $2,000 and each subsequent fee is $100. Current law also requires video service providers to pay a $100 fee for notifying DFI about certain changes in information previously provided to DFI. This bill eliminates the fee for information changes, and also requires video service providers to pay annual fees to DATCP, rather than to DFI.

Under current law, DATCP enforces certain video service consumer protection requirements. Under the bill, a video service provider with 10,000 or less in-state subscribers must pay an annual fee of $4,500 to DATCP, and a video service provider with more than 10,000 in-state subscribers must pay an annual fee of $50,000 to DATCP. In addition, the bill allows DATCP to adjust the amount of the fees by rule as necessary to cover administrative and enforcement costs. The bill also authorizes the creation of 5.0 FTE positions in DATCP for enforcing the video service consumer protection requirements. In addition, the bill requires DATCP to enforce certain prohibitions under current law regarding discrimination based on race or income in providing video service. Current law does not specify the state agency that enforces such prohibitions.

In addition, current law authorizes municipalities to require video service providers to comply, upon 90 days' advance notice, with regulations of the FCC regarding office hours and telephone availability; service installations, outages, and calls; and deadlines for refunds and service credits. However, a municipality is prohibited from requiring such compliance if more than one person offers video service in a municipality, or if a video service provider is subject to effective competition, as determined under FCC regulations. This bill eliminates the foregoing requirements and requires instead that video service providers comply with the foregoing FCC regulations, and that DATCP enforce compliance. In addition, the bill requires video service providers to comply with, and DATCP to enforce, additional FCC regulations regarding all of the following: 1) providing information about products, services, channels, prices, installation and service maintenance policies, and billing and complaint procedures; 2) providing advance written notice about changes to rates, programming services, and channel positions;

and 3) providing clear, concise, and understandable bills, itemizing bills, and responding to billing complaints. Also, the bill allows a municipality to adopt or enact an ordinance or resolution requiring a video service provide to comply with the foregoing FCC regulations, as well as video service consumer protection requirements under state law enforced by DATCP. As a result, a municipality may enforce the same requirements as DATCP.

Finally, the bill does all of the following:

1. Requires a video service provider to carry a channel designated by WisconsinEye, which operates a nonprofit, statewide public affairs channel, or a successor to WisconsinEye specified by the PSC. A video service provider must carry the channel at no cost to WisconsinEye or such a successor. Also, the channel must be carried on the lowest cost service tier.

2. Requires the PSC to promulgate rules allowing a customer to return video service equipment to a video service provider at no cost to the customer, but only if the customer returns the equipment by a deadline specified in the rules.

3. Requires a video service provider to maintain at least one customer service facility within this state. The facility staff must have the capacity to accept payments; adjust bills; respond to repair, installation, reconnection, disconnection, and other service calls; and distribute and receive video service equipment.

4. Allows for the recovery of costs and attorney fees in certain actions regarding disputes over video service provider fees, as well as in actions to enforce the bill's requirements.

5. Changes one of the video service consumer protection requirements under current law so that certain repairs must be made within 24 hours after service interruptions are reported. Current law imposes a 72-hour deadline.

6. Subjects a person who violates video service requirements to a forfeiture of not more than $1,000 for each offense and not more than $10,000 for each occurrence.