City Attorney: City’s Ability to Negotiate on Cable TV is Limited (VIDEO)

Rochester City Attorney Terry Adkins is involved in the ongoing negotiations with Charter Communications on a new franchise agreement with the city and discussed the situation Wednesday during his monthly appearance on the Rochester Today show with Tracy McCray and Andy Brownell on KROC-AM.

Adkins explained the city actually has very little power to make demands of the cable TV and high-speed internet provider. Federal laws and regulations prohibit the city from denying telecommunications companies a franchise to operate in the city, which also means any firm wishing to compete with Charter is welcome to come to Rochester and develop its own network to deliver TV and internet services. Unfortunately for customers upset about Charter's plan to convert to a completely digital system in coming weeks, the infrastructure costs would likely be prohibitive. (VIDE0)

The City Attorney says the one area where the city might have some pull in the negotiations involves the location of the community's public access channels. Charter will be free to move them without the city's permission when the current franchise agreement expires next March, but the company is hoping to shift them as part of the conversion to a completely digital conversion next month.

Adkins says it's unclear what concessions might be negotiated using that leverage, but the City Council is scheduled to meet September 29th to consider an agreement, if one can be reached (VIDEO)

To listen to the entire show, click on the play button below...