Opponents of legislation that would let phone companies avoid local franchising when they offer TV services in Wisconsin gathered today to bring attention to the issue.
Bills that would let phone companies franchise on a state or federal level have been introduced in Congress and several states, but not yet in Wisconsin, where time is running out on the 2006 legislative session, which ends in March.
However, “We’re expecting one,” said Barry Orton, a UW-Madison professor of telecommunications who advises many communities in their dealings with cable companies.