07-25-2012 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COMMUNITY NEEDS ASCERTAINMENT NORTH SUBURBAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION I. INTRODUCTION The Buske Group was retained by the North Suburban Communications Commission (NSCC) -- a 10 -city municipal joint powers consortium consisting of the Cities of Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, St, Anthony, and Shoreview, Minnesota -- to conduct an ascertainment of community cable - related needs and interests, for use during the franchise renewal process. The Buske Group was authorized to conduct research in order to identify current and future community cable - related needs and interests, and to make recommendations to the NSCC and its member cities. Comcast currently operates an integrated cable system in the NSCC franchise area under individual franchises that expire in 2013, and reportedly serves about 30,000 subscribers in this 10 -city franchise area. As a matter of federal law, the cable - related needs and interests of residents and the community in general are protected in part through the franchise renewal process. As part of the franchise renewal process, the NSCC, on behalf of its member cities, is responsible for identifying cable- related needs and interests, and translating those interests into franchise requirements. During renewal proceedings, the NSCC may, by way of example but not limitation, identify basic requirements for cable system capacity, functionality, and customer service, and require cable operators to provide -- among other things -- facilities and equipment and channels for Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Access. As stated in the legislative history to the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, as amended: The ability of a local government entity to require particular cable facilities (and to enforce requirements in the Franchise to provide those facilities) is essential if cable systems are to be tailored to the needs of each community [and the legislation] explicitly grants this power to the franchising authority. 2