A. 
The municipality may grant one or more franchises, and each such franchise shall be awarded in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this chapter. A franchise shall constitute both a right and an obligation to provide the cable services regulated by the provisions of this chapter and the franchise agreement.
B. 
No person may construct or operate a cable system without a franchise granted by the municipality. No person may be granted a franchise without having entered into a franchise agreement with the municipality pursuant to this chapter.
A franchise authorizes use of public rights-of-way for installing cables, wires, lines, optical fibers, underground conduit and other devices necessary and appurtenant to the operation of a cable system within a franchise area, but does not expressly or implicitly authorize a franchisee to provide service to, or install a cable system on, private property without owner consent [except for use of compatible easements pursuant to Section 621 of the Cable Act, 47 U.S.C. § 541(a)(2)], or to use publicly or privately owned conduits without a separate agreement with the owners.
A. 
Following approval by the municipality, any franchise granted pursuant to this chapter, and the rights, privileges and authority granted by a franchise agreement, shall take effect and be in force from and after the first date on which both the franchisee and the municipality have accepted and signed the franchise agreement.
B. 
All privileges prescribed by a franchise shall be subordinate to any prior lawful occupancy of the public rights-of-way, and the municipality reserves the right to reasonably designate where a franchisee's facilities are to be placed within the public rights-of-way.
A. 
A franchisee shall at all times be subject to and shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws. A franchisee shall at all times be subject to all lawful exercise of the police power of the municipality, including all rights the municipality may have under 47 U.S.C. § 552. Nothing in a franchise agreement shall be deemed to waive the requirements of the various codes and ordinances of the municipality regarding permits, fees to be paid or manner of construction.
B. 
No course of dealing between a franchisee and the municipality, or any delay on the part of the municipality in exercising any rights hereunder, or any acquiescence by the municipality in the actions of a franchisee which are in contravention of such rights, except to the extent such rights are preempted by federal or state law or are expressly waived by the municipality, or are expressly provided for in a franchise agreement, shall operate as a waiver of any such rights of the municipality.
C. 
The municipality shall have the maximum authority to regulate cable systems, franchisees and franchises as may now or hereafter be lawfully permissible; except where rights are expressly waived by a franchise agreement, or preempted by federal or state laws, rules or regulations, they are reserved, whether expressly enumerated or not.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter and a franchise agreement will be liberally construed in order to effectuate their purposes and objectives and to promote the public interest.
B. 
Subject to federal law or regulation, a franchise agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Pennsylvania.
Any person who occupies the public rights-of-way of the municipality for the purpose of operating or constructing a cable system and who does not hold a valid franchise from the municipality shall be subject to all provisions of this chapter, including but not limited to its provisions regarding construction and technical standards and franchise fees. In its discretion, the municipality at any time may require such person to apply for a franchise within 30 days of receipt of a written notice by the municipality that a franchise agreement is required; require such person to remove its property and restore the area to a condition satisfactory to the municipality within a reasonable time period, as the municipality shall determine; remove the property itself and restore the area to a satisfactory condition and charge the person the costs therefor; and/or take any other action it is entitled to take under applicable law, including filing for and seeking damages under trespass. In no event shall a franchise be created unless it is issued by action of the municipality and subject to a written franchise agreement.
Subject to applicable federal or state law, any act that a franchisee is required to perform under this chapter, a franchise agreement or applicable law shall be performed at the franchisee's expense, unless expressly provided to the contrary in this chapter, the franchise agreement or applicable law.
Nothing herein shall be deemed or construed to impair or affect, in any way or to any extent, the municipality's rights of eminent domain to the extent to which they may apply to any public utility or cable system.