Commerce  
 

VIDEO SERVICE REGULATION

On June 25, 2007, Governor Strickland signed Senate Bill 117, which created a new, state-issued video-authorization process to replace the local cable television franchise process. The law gave the Ohio Department of Commerce jurisdiction over cable television providers who are granted state-issued video authorization, but not over satellite television providers.

Prior to the effective date of the law, a company that intended to provide cable television service had to obtain a local cable franchise from each municipality or township. Under the law signed by Governor Strickland, a company may apply for a state-issued cable authorization, which may consist of multiple communities. The authorization term is 10 years, but cable television providers with state-issued video-service authorizations are required during this period to file an application immediately to amend their authorization to reflect any changes to the information contained in the original application.

Traditionally, there has been only minimal competitive entry by telephone companies into Ohio’s video programming market, in part because local franchise requirements may present barriers to entry. It is believed that issuing statewide authorizations will expedite the deployment of a state-of-the-art infrastructure for delivering video and broadband services to Ohioans, some of whom have not had access to high-speed data services. Additionally, the law will bring new competitors to cable and satellite video providers.

The law gives the Department of Commerce authority to investigate any alleged violation of or failure to comply with certain provisions of the law. However, the Department does not have any authority to regulate the rates, terms or conditions of a provider’s service – including the networks or television stations that the video-services company decides to carry.

• Video Service Authorization Law
• Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 1332

• For Consumers
• Consumer Service Standards (PDF)
• File a Complaint (PDF)

• For Local Governments
• Local Government Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

• For Video Service Providers
• Amendment Form (Microsoft Word Document)
• Online Provider Application Form
• VSA Assessment Database

• Approved Authorizations
• Armstrong Utilities Inc., dba Armstrong Cables Services (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 07/01/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 09/24/2008 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 11/21/2008 UPDATES (Third Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 08/20/2009 UPDATES (Fourth Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 11/05/2009 UPDATES (Fifth Amendment and Service Areas)
• The Arthur Mutual Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• AT&T Ohio (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 12/16/2009 UPDATES (Service Areas)
• The Ayersville Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Bellaire Television Cable Company, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Block Communications Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 03/20/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 04/15/2008 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
• BTC Multimedia, LLC dba Bascom Communications, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Buckland Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Cequel III Communications II, LLC dba Suddenlink Communications (Authorization and Service Areas)
• The Chillicothe Telephone Company, dba Horizon View (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 05/27/2008 UPDATES(First Amendment and Service Areas)
• Cincinnati Bell Extended Territories (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 04/10/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment)
      -- 12/16/2009 UPDATES (Service Areas)
• Comcast Fort Wayne, Limited Partnership dba Comcast (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Comcast of Illinois/Indiana/Ohio, LLC. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Comcast of Illinois/Ohio/Oregon, LLC. (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 04/24/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 09/05/2008 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 01/28/2009 UPDATES (Third Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 11/06/2009 UPDATES (Fourth Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 01/27/2010 UPDATES (Fifth Amendment and Service Areas)
• Comcast of Ohio (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Conneaut Telephone Company, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 05/14/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
• CoxCom, Inc., dba Cox Communications (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 10/08/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 09/04/2009 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
• CT Communications Network, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 12/16/2009 UPDATES (Service Areas)
• East Cleveland Cable TV and Communications, LLC. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Fort Jennings Telephone Company, dba FJ Communications, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Friendship Cable of Texas, Inc., dba Suddenlink Communications (Authorization and Service Areas)
• The Glandorf Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Insight Communications of Central Ohio, LLC, dba Insight (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Interlink Communications Partners, LLC dba Charter Communications (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Kalida Telephone Company, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Massillon Cable TV, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 08/19/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 11/05/2009 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 12/24/2009 UPDATES (Third Amendment and Service Areas)
• The McClure Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• The Middle Point Home Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Nelsonville TV Cable, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• NKTelco, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)/li>
• Orwell Communications (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 04/25/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
• Powhatan Point (Authorization and Service Areas)
• P Riley Enterprises, Inc. dba STS Cable (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Quality One Technologies, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Rapid Communications, LLC, dba Rapid Communication and Rapid Cable (NOTE: Authorization was transferred to Zito Media on 2/27/09)
  (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 07/29/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
• Richards TV Cable Company Inc., dba New Athens TV Cable Company; Morristown TV Cable Company; and Richards TV Cable Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Sherwood Mutual Telephone Association, Inc., dba Shertel Cable, Inc. and SMTA (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Telephone Service Company, dba TSC Communications, Inc. (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Time Warner Cable, LLC. (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 08/06/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 10/10/2008 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 11/07/2008 UPDATES (Third Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 02/18/2009 UPDATES (Fourth Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 07/10/2009 UPDATES (Fifth Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 10/30/2009 UPDATES (Sixth Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 01/12/2010 UPDATES (Seventh Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 12/31/2009 UPDATES (Eighth Amendment and Service Areas)
• The Wabash Mutual Telephone Company (Authorization and Service Areas)
      -- 05/02/2008 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas)
• Vital Communications Group, LLC (Authorization and Service Areas)
• WideOpenWest Cleveland, LLC (Authorization and Service Areas)
• WideOpenWest Ohio, LLC (Authorization and Service Areas)
• Windjammer Communications (Acknowledgement of Transfer, Authorization, and Service Areas)
      -- 11/25/2009 UPDATES (First Amendment and Service Areas - Including Transfer Areas)
      -- 01/12/2010 UPDATES (Second Amendment and Service Areas)
      -- 01/27/2010 UPDATES (Third Amendment and Service Areas)
• Zito NCTNNWVPANOH, LLC, doing business as Zito Media, Inc (Authorization and Service Areas)

• Denied Authorizations
• GLW Broadband Inc
• S. Bryer Cable TV Corporation