West Virginia Code 24D-1-10 – Revocation, alteration, or suspension of cable franchise; penalties
(a) Any cable franchise issued in accordance with the provisions of this chapter may be revoked, altered or suspended by the franchising authority upon the recommendation of the commission to a municipality or county acting as a franchising authority or after a hearing before the franchising authority, for the following reasons:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 24D-1-10
- Application: means an unsolicited filing for a cable franchise. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Cable operator: means any person or group of persons: (A) Who provides cable service over a cable system and directly or through one or more affiliates owns a significant interest in the cable system. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Cable service: means : (A) The one-way transmission to subscribers of video programming or other programming service. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
- franchise: means a nonexclusive initial authorization or renewal thereof issued pursuant to this chapter, whether the authorization is designated as a franchise, permit, order, contract, agreement or otherwise, which authorizes the construction or operation of a cable system. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Franchising authority: means a municipality, a county commission or the Public Service Commission empowered by federal, state or local law to grant a cable franchise. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Municipality: means any municipal corporation duly chartered in the State of West Virginia within whose jurisdiction there exists a cable system or where such cable system is hereafter constructed, operated, acquired or extended. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Person: means an individual, partnership, association, joint stock company, trust, corporation or governmental agency. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Proposal: means a filing solicited by the franchising authority for a cable franchise. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
- Service area: means that geographic area for which a cable operator has been issued a cable franchise. See West Virginia Code 24D-1-2
(1) For making material false or misleading statements in, or for material omissions from, any application or proposal or other filing made with the franchising authority;
(2) For repeated failure to maintain signal quality under the standards prescribed by the commission;
(3) For any sale, lease, assignment or other transfer of its cable franchise without consent of the franchising authority;
(4) Except when commercially impracticable, for unreasonable delay in construction or operation or for unreasonable withholding of the extension of cable service to any person in a service area;
(5) For material violation of the terms of its cable franchise;
(6) For failure to substantially comply with this chapter or any rules, regulations or orders prescribed by the commission;
(7) For substantial violation of its filed schedule of terms and conditions of service; and
(8) For engaging in any unfair or deceptive act or practice.
(b) In lieu of, or in addition to, the relief provided by subsection (a) hereof, the franchising authority may fine a cable operator, for each violation under the provisions of this section, in an amount not less than $50 nor more than $5,000 for each violation. Each day's continuance of a violation may be treated as a separate violation pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the commission. Any penalty assessed under this section shall be in addition to any other costs, expenses or payments for which the cable operator is responsible under other provisions of this chapter.