Consumer Choice for Television Act

The act governs the franchising of cable and video service, shifting authority away from individually negotiated local franchise agreements and toward a single state-issued franchise or certificate, with defined eligibility criteria and filing procedures for providers seeking one. It preserves core local and public-interest obligations by requiring franchise fees to be paid to local governments — subject to audit and a dispute-resolution process — and by mandating support for public, educational, and governmental access programming, emergency alert services, and minimum customer service standards. At the same time it constrains what local authorities may demand of providers, barring build-out requirements while prohibiting discrimination in where and to whom service is offered.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.