HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 25
(By Delegate Trump)
Urging the Congress of the United States to amend the Cable
Television Act of 1992 and Telecommunications Act of 1996 to
permit the several states and local franchising authorities
to have full authority to regulate the rates for cable
television services.
Whereas, Television has become a medium of great importance
as a source of information and entertainment to the citizens of
West Virginia and the United States; and
Whereas, Cable television sometimes provides the only access
to quality television signals in many areas of West Virginia; and
Whereas, Cable television services in West Virginia are not
subject to effective competition; and
Whereas, Over the last ten years, despite the efforts of the
Congress of the United States and the Legislature of West
Virginia, the prices that consumers pay for cable television
services have escalated at alarming rates, far out pacing the
increase in the costs of other goods or services; and
Whereas, The enormous increases in the costs for subscribers of cable television services is a result of the absence of
competition in the industry coupled with inadequate regulation;
and
Whereas, It is the duty of government to intervene to protect
its citizens from the pricing practices of monopolies; therefore,
be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That this Legislature respectfully urges the Congress of the
United States to address this important issue by enacting
comprehensive legislation to create widespread competition within
the cable television industry and until such time as competition
exists, that the Congress of the United States will pass
comprehensive legislation allowing the several states and local
franchising authorities to have complete and unfettered power and
authority to regulate the rates that cable television companies
may charge to the subscribers of cable television service,
including charges for any and all tiers of programming; and, be it
Further Resolved, This Legislature respectfully urges the
Congress of the United States to enact laws requiring cable
television companies to permit consumers to select and decline
individual channels that they desire to have or not to have, so
that consumers are not forced to buy programming that they do not
want simply to be able to have the programming that they do want;
and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
be hereby directed to transmit appropriate copies of this
resolution to the President of the United States, the Speaker of
the United States House of Representatives, the President of the
United States Senate, and to each member of the West Virginia
Delegation of the Congress.