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ORDINANCE No. . 1091
AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A FRANCHISE TO MOBILE TV CABLE COMPANY, INC,
ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A COMMUNITY
TELEVISION SYSTEM IN THE CITY OF PRICHARD, SETTING FORTH CONDITIONS
ACCOMPANYING THE GRANT OF FRANCHISE: PROVIDING.FOR CITY REQULATIONS |
) AND USE OF THE SYSTEM: AND PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION
OF ITS PROVISIONS.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF CITY COUNCIL OF THE ciTy
OF PRICHARD, ALABAMA, as follows:
Section] Short Title, This Ordinance shall be known
and may be cited as the Prichard
5 1 4 1 2 8 897 700 100 28 96.489143 Cable
5 1 4 1 2 9 1020 701 194 30 96.722046 Television
5 1 4 1 2 10 1236 704 180 29 96.640419 Franchise
5 1 4 1 2 11 1437 707 214 32 70.229759 Ordinance.
Section 2. Definitions, For the purpose of this Ordinance
the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shell have
the meaning given herein, When not inconsistent with the context,
words used in the present tense include the future, words in the
plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular
number include the plural number, The word “shall" is always manda-
tory and not merely directory.
(1) City as the City of Prichard, Alabama
(2) “Company" is the grantee of rights under this
Franchise, Mobile TV Cable Co,, Ine,
(3) Council is the Council of the City of Prichard
(4) Person is any person, firm, organization, partnership,
association, corporation, company or organization of any
kind,
(5) “Systems Shall mean the entire installation,
Section 3, Grant of Authority. There is hereby granted
by the City to the Company the right and privilege to construct, erect,
operate and maintain in, upon, along, across, above, over and under
the streets, alleys, public ways and public places now laid out or
dedicated, and all extensions thereof, and additions thereto, in the
City, poles, wires, cables, underground conduits, manholes and other
television conductars and fixtures necessary for the maintenance and
Operation in the City of a community television system for the inter-
' ception, sale and distribution of television signals,
(1) Non=-Exelusive Grant. The right to use and occupy said
streets, alleys, public ways and places for the pur-
poses herein set forth shail be non-exclusive with tt
grantee herein,
Ss is e Ay i L; ad Ordi
The Company shall, at all times during the life of this Franchise
subject to all lawful exercise of the police power by the City,
such reasonable regulation as the City shall hereafter by resolv
or ordinance provide,
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Section 5. Company Liability - Indemnification. It is ex-
pressly understood and aErees Dy and between the Company and the City
that the Company shall save the City harmless from all loss sustained
by the City on account of any suit, judgment, execution, claim or de-
mand whatsoever, resulting from the construction, operation or mainte-
nance on the part of the Company of its television system in the City.
The City shall notify the Company immediately after the presentation
of any claim or demand, either by suit or otherwise, made against the
City on account of any activity as aforesaid on the part of the Company.
_ The Company shall carry and pay the cost of the following insurance,
in at least the amounts indicated below for each injury to or death
of persons and injury to or destruction of property as a result of
any accident arising out of the conduct of business or use of prem-
‘ ises or any operations which are necessary or inéidental thereto, the
same to include the City as a named insured.
(1) $100,000.00 for property damage to any one person
(2) $200,000.00 for property damage in any one accident
(3) $100,000.00 for personal injury to any one person
(4) $300,000.00 for personal injury in any one accident
Section 6. Service Standards. The Company shall main-
tain and operate its system ana render efficient service in accord-
ance with the rules and regulations as are, or may be, set forth by
the City and as provided for in Section 11 of this Ordinance,
(1) Notice of Interruption for Repairs. Whenever it is
necessary to snut off or interrupt service for the
purpose of making repairs, adjustments or installa-
tions, the Company shall do so at such times as
will cause the least amount of inconvenience to its
customers, and unless such interruption is unforseen
and imnediately necessary, it shall give reasonable
notice thereof to its customers.
Section 7. Company Rules. The Company shall have the
authority to promulgate such rules, regulations, terms and conditions
governing the conduct of its business as shall be reasonably necessary
to enable the Company to exercise its rights and perform its obligations
under this Franchise and to assure an uninterrupted service to each and
all of its customers. Provided, however, that such rules, regulations,
terms and conditions shall not be in conflict with the provisions hereof
or of laws or rules of the State of Alabama, the United States, and the
City.
Section 8. Condition on Street Occupancy.
(1) The Company shall enter into a separate contract
with the Electric Power Board and/or Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company as to the use of
their poles or posts within the City and also com-
ply with the City Ordinances so far as street occu
pancy is concerned,
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(2) The Company system, poles, wires and appurtenances
shall be located, erected and maintained so that
none of it shall endanger or interfere with the
lives of persons, or interfere with any improve-
ments the City may deem proper to make, or hinder
unnecessarily or obstruct the free use of the street,
alleys, bridges or other public property.
(3) Construction and maintenance of the transmission
distribution system, including house connections,
shall be in accordance with the provisions of the
National Electric Safety Code of the National Board
of Fire Underwriters, prepared by the National
Bureau of Stancards, the National Electrical Code
of the National Board of fire Underwriters and such
applicable Ordinances and regulations of the City,
Affecting electrical installations which may be
presently in effect or maybe enacted by the City.
Installations end house drop hardware shall be uni-
form throughout the City, except the Licensees shall
be free to change their hardware and installation
procedure as the art progresses.
(4) Whenever the activities of the Company shall damage
any surface, pavement or sidewalks, the Company shall
at its expense restore all such surface, pavement or
sidewalks to the satisfaction of the City. In the
event any street or way is altered by the. City re-
quiring the alteration or removal of any part of the
Company's system, theCompany shall bear the cost of
such alteration or removal.
Section 9. Original Installaticn. The Company shall, un-
ce een een pe nen el cage SP SEY 8
less additional time Is granted, start the original installation for
Cable Television service within Iwenty-four (24) months from the effective
date of this Franchise.
Section 10. Approval of Transfer. The Company shail not
sell or transfer its plant or system to anotaer, nor transfer any
rights under this Franchise to another without Council approval.
Providec, that no sale or transfer shall be effective until the ven-
dee, assignee, or lessee has filed in the office of the City an in-
strument, duly executed, reciting the fact of such sale, assignment
or lease, accepting the terms of the Franchise, and agreeing to per-
form all the conditions thereof.
Section ll. City Rights in Franchise.
(1) City Rules. The right is hereby reserved to the City
to adopt, in additicn to the provisions herein contained
and existing applicable ordinances, such additional reg-
ulations as it shall find necessary in the exercise of the
police power, proviced that such regulations, by ordinance
or otherwise, shall be reasonable, and not in conflict.
with the rights herein granted, and shall not be in con-
flict with the laws of the State of Alabama.
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(2) Pieture Quality. The antenna, receiving and distri-
bution equipment shall be installed and maintained so as
to provide pictures on subscribed receivers throughout the
system essentially of the same quality as those received
at the antenna site.
(3) Supervision and Inspection. The City shall have the
vight”’to supervise all construction or installation work
performed subject to the provisions of this Ordinance and
to make such inspections as it shall find necessary to~
insure compliance with governing ordinances.
(4) Procedure after Terminations At the end of the term
of this Franchise tne City shall have the right to deter-
mine whether this franchise shall be extended for an addi-~
tional period,
Section 12, Payments to the City. The Company shall pay
to the City, in addition to any and all privilege licenses and ad
valorem taxes or other charges hereafter levied by the City, a sum of
5% per cent of the annual gross operating revenues received by it
within the City during each year of operation under this Franchise.
Qperating
5 1 6 1 6 2 415 959 175 25 96.071304 Revenues shall include all receipts from sales of TV sig-
nals within the City and all receipts from installation charges with-
in the City. Said payments shall be made semi-annually at intervals
of from six to twelve months of the date-of the grant of this Fran-
chise, An annual summary report showing gross revenues received by
the Company from its operations within the City during the preceding
year and such other information as the City shall request with re-
spect to operations hereunder shall be furnished on or before Febru-
ary 1 cf each year or at any other time upon request of the City and
thirty days notice.
Section 13. Rates. Rates charged by the Company for
service hereunder snall be farr and reasonable and designed to meet
all necessary costs of the service, including a fair rate of return
on the net valuation of its properties devoted thereto, under effi-
cient and economical management. The Company agrees that it shall
be subject to all authority now or hereafter possessed by the City, '
or any other regulatory body having competent jurisdiction, to fix
just, reasonable and compensatory television signal distribution
-vates. When this Franchise takes effect, the Company shall have
authority to charge and collect not to exceed the. following schedule
of rates, which shall remain in effect until changed or modified in
accordance with the general standards set out in this Section.
(1) Rate Schedule:
(a) Installation Charges: During the first two (2)
years of operation the Company shall make a $10.00
charge for installation. !
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(b) Service Charges: The monthly charge cannot
exceed $5.00 per month for the first two (2) years
of operation, and not to exceed 1/4 of said sum
for each additional set or outlet in the same
building.
Section 14, Free Connections and Service. Upon request,
Licensees shall furnish, free of o arge, outside connéctions and
service to all hospitals, parochial or public schools located within
the City, and to Municipal Buildings when other connections are being
made within the particular area; provided, however, any and all in-.
‘side wiring or work shall be done at the expense of the hospital,
school or City, as the case may be, and provided that a service cable
puns in reasonable proximity to such buildings.
Section 15, Records and Reports. The City shall have
access at all reasonable hours to a of the Company's plans, con-
tracts and engineering, accounting, financial, statistical, customer
and service records relating to the property and the operation of
the Company and to all other records requirec to be kept hereunder.
The following records and reports shall be filed with the City and
in the local office of the Company:
(1) Company Rules and Regulations. Copies of such rules,
regulations, terms and conditions adopted by the company
for the conduct of its business.
(2) Gross Revenue. An annual certified audit showing
gross pevenues and depreciated plant valiié received by
the Company from its operations within the City during
the preceding year and such other information as the Cit
shall request with respect to properties and expenses re
lated to the Company's service within the City.
Section 16. Teras of Franchise, Upon continuing and com-
piete performance by tne Company of each and every term of this agree-
ment, the permission nerein granted shall continue for a term of
twenty (20) years; and at the expiration of twenty (20) years, this
permission shall renew itself automatically so long as complete per-
formance of the terms hereof is continued by the Company for success~
ive periods of five (5) years each.
: Section 17, Separability. If any section, subsection,
sentence, clause, phrase or portion of this Ordinance is for any
reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and
independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity
of the remaining portions thereof, .
Section 18. Penalties:
(1) The Company shall file a satisfactory construction
bond with the City in the amount of One Hundred Thousand and no/100
($100,000.00) Dollars conditioned upon the Company's satisfactory
performance of its obligations hereunder to construct the system.
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(2) If the Company shall fail to comply with any of the
provisions of this Franchise, or default in any of its obligations
in this agreement and shall fail within thirty (30) days after writ-
ten notice from the City to correct such default or non-compliance,
the City may, at its option, forthwith terminate the rights granted
under this Franchise. In the event that the City terminates this
agreement, in whole or in part, the Company shall within thirty (30)
days remove its facilities, and in the event that the Company does
not remove its facilities within thirty (30) days, the City may do
SO, the removal costs to be borne, in any event, by the Company.
(3) Failure to enforce or insist upon compliance with
any of the terms or conditions of this agreement shall not constitute
& general waiver of relinquishment of any such terms or conditions,
‘but the same shall be and remain at all times in full force and effect,
Section 19, Channels Available. The Company shall in
stall a system capable of distributing twelve channels, The Company
shall carry a minimum of five (5) commeroial television channels,
which shall include all of the major television networks and one
educational channel provided that satisfactory reception of such
cnannel is available. Channels for the community antenne television
system as contained in this franchise shall not be used for the trans-
mission of Pay Television or any other communications which are not
broadcast programs obtained off the air, except as specified as follows:
(1) -Fidl-in music reproduced on the Company's equipment
located at its studio or received off the airwon the
Company's system and furnished without additional charge.
(2) Weather information furnished as an incidental
part of community antenna service to all subscribers
without additional charge,
(3) Occasional local events of public interest ane
occasional closec cireuit television programs furnished
as an incidental >art of community antenna service
to all subscribers without additional charge,
(4) One channel or band is to be reserved for the
use of the City. The City will pay for any special
equipment necessery to feed into the system, such as
TV cameras, fire alarm boxes, etc., and will pay for
the maintenance for such special equipment. These may
be used by the lessee until such time as the City re-
quires its use.
Section 20. Activities Prohibited. The Company shall
not allow its cable or otnér operations to interfere with television
reception of persons not served by the cable, nor shall it interfere
with, obstruct or hinder in any manner, the operation of the various
utilities serving the residents of the City. The Company shail not
perform repair service to television sets and shall not permit any
of its emplcyees, installers or servicemen to perform such services
on their own,
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Section 21, Non-Duplication Clause. The Company will at
all times carry all local channets and in the event a program is
duplicated, the Company will black-out the out of town station carry-
ing the duplicate program. The program will be carried solely over
the local station.
Section 22, Pubiication. This Ordinance shall be in full
foree and effect upon its adoption and publication as provided by law,
which publication shall be at the expense of the Company.
ADOPTED this 3rdq_ day of April, 1967.
APPROVED: Da Li Lett
V. O. Capps; R ;
aes Dee, dere
OUNCILMAN §, G,. Sansom

