NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1967 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1122

HOUSE BILL 1234

 

 

AN ACT TO CLARIFY THE AUTHORITY OF MUNICIPALITIES TO GRANT FRANCHISES FOR CABLE TELEVISION SERVICES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 160-2 is hereby amended by inserting between subsections (6) and (7) a new subsection to be designated as subsection (6a) and to read as follows:

"(6a)     To grant upon reasonable terms franchises for the operation of cable television systems, such grants not to exceed the period of 20 years, to levy reasonable franchise taxes under authority of G.S. 160-56 on the business of operating cable television systems, and to prohibit the operation of cable television systems without a franchise. For the purposes of this subsection, 'cable television system' shall include any system or facility which, by means of a master antenna and wires or cables, or of wires and cables alone, receives, amplifies, modifies, transmits, or distributes any television, radio, or electronic signal, audio or video or both, to subscribing members of the public for compensation; provided, that 'cable television system' shall not include the providing by any person, firm, or corporation of master antenna service only to property owned or leased by such person, firm, or corporation, if no part of any public right of way or easement is used in providing such service; and further provided, that this subsection shall not apply to communication services rendered to such a cable television system by a public utility and which services are subject to regulation by the North Carolina Utilities Commission or the Federal Communications Commission."

Sec. 2.  Nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to affect in any manner any franchise granted prior to the effective date hereof.

Sec. 3.  All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act hereby are repealed.

Sec. 4.  This Act shall be effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 4th day of July, 1967.