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• J <br /> FREDRIKSON & BYRON, P.A. <br /> Attorneys At Law <br /> • <br /> Cable Television Franchising Authorities and Other Interested Persons <br /> February 16, 1996 <br /> Page 5 <br /> d. Anti-trust Provisions. The Act places restrictions on local <br /> telephone companies with respect to ownership of cable operators <br /> operating within the telephone company's -local service area.. <br /> Certain rural areas are exempt from these restrictions. <br /> E. Programming Content. <br /> 1. Cable Services. Cable operators may refuse to transmit programming <br /> that contains obscene or indecent material or nudity. This provision no <br /> doubt will be affected.by a case being heard in the United States Supreme <br /> Court regarding censorship of cable programming. . <br /> 2. The "V-Chip". The Act requires manufacturers of television equipment <br /> to install a device that would allow parents to block violent or sexually. <br /> explicit programming on their televisions. <br /> 3. Internet Censorship. The Act also imposes new restrictions on the <br /> content of programming transmitted over computer on-line services, like <br /> the Internet. These provisions are already being challenged in court by <br /> civil liberty organizations. <br /> F. Broadcasters. <br /> 1. Broadcast Spectrum Flexibility. The Act contemplates issuance of <br /> licenses relating to high definition television services. <br /> 2. Broadcast Ownership. The Act eliminates entirely any.restriction on the <br /> number of stations that can be owned by one company in one local area. <br /> The Act also increases the cap on the percentage of broadcast stations that <br /> can be owned by one entity on a national basis from 25 percent to 35 <br /> percent. <br /> G. Utilities. <br /> 1. New Competitors in the Telecommunications Industry. Certain types <br /> of public utilities were previously barred from offering <br /> telecommunications service to the public. The Act lifts those restrictions, <br /> • allowing such companies to offer telecommunications services, subject to <br /> a FCC certification process and general FCC jurisdiction. <br /> 2. Pole Attachment Costs. The Act changes existing provisions regarding <br /> pole attachment requirements and creates new provisions regarding fair <br />