The grantor intends, by the adoption of this chapter, to facilitate
the development and operation of cable systems to provide cable service.
This development can contribute significantly to meeting the cable-related
needs and desires of many individuals, associations, and institutions.
Therefore, the following are statements of the grantor's intent
when granting or renewing a franchise:
A. Provide for the installation and operation of cable systems with
features meeting the current and future cable-related needs and interests
of the community considering the costs to subscribers and to any operator
of cable systems.
B. To act expeditiously on any requests for a franchise so as to allow
the prompt provision of cable service while ensuring that the public
interest is met and that residents are not discriminated against based
on race, ethnicity, income, or other unfair basis.
C. Encourage the offering of the widest feasible scope and diversity
of programming and other services to all grantor residents that are
consistent with community needs and interests and as measured against
the cost of providing such programming and other services.
D. Encourage implementation of technical advances in cable programming
technology, and to make available to residents cable services of all
kinds in the grantor.
E. Provide the use of channel capacity for government, educational,
and public service access programming consistent with the needs and
interests of the community and federal law.
F. Ensure that rates and charges for basic service programming, equipment,
and service are fair, reasonable and consistent with federal standards.
G. Require that a grantee of a franchise provide customer service consistent
with industry standards, this chapter and the standards of the FCC.
H. Ensure that the installation and maintenance of cable systems comply
with all generally-applicable grantor ordinances and regulations,
and do not interfere with the grantor's legitimate use of rights-of-way
of its own facilities and property.
I. That the occupation of the grantor's rights-of-way does not
endanger the health, safety and welfare of its citizenry, public property
or other uses of the rights-of-way.
J. Ensure the widest availability of cable services within grantor on
a nondiscriminatory basis.
K. Provide for compliance with the emergency alert provisions set forth
by the FCC, set forth under 47 CFR Part 11, FCC Rules and Regulations,
Emergency Alert System (EAS). To the extent required by federal and
state law, grantee of a franchise shall assist the grantor in working
with the Centre County Office of Emergency Services and the Centre
Region Emergency Management Council in the establishment of an emergency
response plan.
L. Provide for the payment of franchise fees in accordance with federal
law.
Costs incurred by grantor for the granting or renewing of a
franchise and for rights-of-way use shall be reimbursed by the collection
of franchise fees.