48:5A-11 - Rates, charges and classifications for services; filing; publication; notice; review; hearings; limitation on revenues; effective competition
48:5A-11 Rates, charges and classifications for services; filing; publication; notice; review; hearings; limitation on revenues; effective competition.
11. a. The board through the office shall, consistent with federal law, prescribe just and reasonable rates, charges and classifications for the services rendered by a CATV company, and the tariffs therefor shall be filed and published in such manner and on such notice as the director with the approval of the board may prescribe, and shall be subject to change on such notice and in such manner as the director with the approval of the board may prescribe.
b.The board shall from time to time cause the established rates and rate schedules of each CATV company for cable TV reception service to be reviewed, and if upon such review it shall appear to the board that, under federal law, such rates, or any of them, are or may be excessive, unreasonable, unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential, the board shall require the CATV company to establish to its satisfaction that such rates are just, reasonable and not excessive or unjustly preferential or discriminatory, and for such purpose shall order the director to hold a hearing thereon. After a hearing upon notice and full opportunity to be heard afforded to the CATV company, the director may recommend amendment of the schedule of cable television subscription rates charged by such company, and such amended schedule if approved by the board shall supersede and replace the schedule so amended.
c.Any hearing held pursuant to this section shall be open to the public, and notice thereof shall be published by the cable television company at least 10 days prior thereto in a newspaper or newspapers of general circulation in the certificated area wherein the rate schedule which is the subject of the hearing applies. Every municipality may intervene in any hearing held by the director pursuant to this section affecting the municipality or the public within the municipality.
d.No CATV company shall derive from the operations of cable television reception service or cable communications systems any revenues other than the fees, charges, rates and tariffs provided for in subsection a. of this section and in subsection g. of section 28 of this act.
e.Whenever pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1972, c.186 (C.48:5A-1 et seq.) the board or the director is required to determine whether any of the rates, charges, fees, tariffs and classifications of a CATV company are unjust, unreasonable, discriminatory or unduly preferential, there shall be taken into consideration any fees which are charged for the use of a CATV system, or part thereof, as an advertising medium, or for services ancillary to such use, and from which the CATV system derives revenue, directly or indirectly, and the effect thereof upon, the company's requirements for revenue from such fees, rates, charges, tariffs and classifications subject to the provisions of this section.
f.The provisions of this section shall not apply in any area where there is effective competition as that term is used in 47 U.S.C. s.543.
L.1972,c.186,s.11; amended 2006, c.83, s.8.