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<chapter heading="Chapter 8A. Cable Communications - Regulations">
  <section heading="Sec. 8A-2 Intent and Purposes - Regulations" />
  <section heading="Sec. 8A-8 Application for Grant, Renewal, Modification or Transfer of a Franchise - Regulations">
    <regulation heading="COMCOR 08A.08.01 Cable Television Application Filing Fees">
      <subsection heading="08A.08.01.01 Authority">
        <paragraph indent="2">Section 8A-8(b)(2) of the Montgomery County Code, as amended, requires that application filing fees be established by Executive Regulation. Section 8A-29 (b)(4) states that the Executive Regulation on application filing fees must be adopted under Method (3).</paragraph>
      </subsection>
      <subsection heading="08A.08.01.02 Fees">
        <paragraph indent="2">The application filing fees shall be as follows:</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">Type of Application                  Amount</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">1.   Grant of a New Franchise</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">a.   Regular Franchise            $25,000.00</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">b.   Limited Franchise</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">(i)   100 homes or more         $  8,500.00</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">(ii)   Less than 100 homes         $  3,000.00</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">2.   Renewal of a Franchise</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">a.   Formal Procedures provided</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="5">for in the federal Cable Act.         $25,000.00</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">b.   Informal Procedures provided</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="5">for in the federal Cable Act.         $25,000.00</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">3.   Modification of a Franchise</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">47 U.S.C. 545 Modification (Section 625</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">of the federal Cable Act)            $10,000.00 per modification</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">4.   Transfer of a Franchise</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">a.   Transfer or Assignment of a</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="5">Franchise, or Transfer of</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="5">Control of a Franchise            $10,000.00</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="4">b.   Transfer of an Interest in a</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="5">Franchise of 25-49%            $  1,500.00</paragraph>
      </subsection>
      <subsection heading="08A.08.01.03 Effective Date">
        <paragraph indent="2">This regulation becomes effective 30 calendar days after the deadline for comments in the Register.</paragraph>
      </subsection>
    </regulation>
  </section>
  <section heading="Sec. 8A-18 Technical Standards - Regulations">
    <regulation heading="COMCOR 08A.18.01 Use of Public, Educational and Government (PEG) TV Channels">
      <subsection heading="08A.18.01.01 Franchisee Use of PEG Channels">
        <paragraph indent="2">In accordance with Section 531(d) of the federal Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, the franchisee may request permission from the franchisor to use on an interim basis any unused public, educational, or government access (PEG) channel(s), either on the subscriber network or the institutional network, provided the franchisee complies with the following requirements:</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">a.   The franchisee must fully utilize all of its channel capacity prior to applying to the franchisor for use of any PEG channel.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">b.   The franchisee must submit an application to the franchisor for the use of PEG channels stating:</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">i.   the number of PEG channels requested;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">ii.   the period of time per day per channel requested for use;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iii.   the duration of franchisee use for each requested PEG channel;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iv.   the intended use of each requested PEG channel;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">v.   the current usage and planned usage (for the duration of the requested PEG channel use) of all of the franchisee's channel capacity;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">vi.   the reasons why utilizing a PEG channel is more desirable than substituting the proposed programming on one of the franchisee's channels, or combining the proposed programming in a shared manner on one of the franchisee's channels;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">vii.   how use of the PEG channel(s) for the proposed purpose(s) serves the public interest.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">The franchisee must also provide any other information requested by the franchisor in reference to the franchisee's application. The franchisee must submit the application in as many copies as the franchisor determines necessary for distribution to appropriate parties.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">c.   If the franchisee is requesting use of one or more of the channels designated for the City of Rockville, the City of Takoma Park, or the Montgomery County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League (hereinafter referred to as the Municipal League), the application specified in b above must also be filed with Rockville, Takoma Park, and/or the Municipal League (whichever are affected) for their action. The County may not grant the franchisee interim use of the Rockville, Takoma Park, or the Municipal League channel if the affected municipality or the Municipal League is using its channel or has plans to do so within 12 months of the application filing date.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">d.   The franchisor must provide 30 days public notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the County of the franchisee's application under this section, make the application available for public inspection, and permit the filing of written public comments within such time period. The franchisor may schedule a public hearing as it deems necessary.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">e.   The County Executive must make a decision on the franchisee's request within 90 days of receipt of a complete application.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">f.   The franchisor may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the franchisee's request for use of PEG channels based on, but not limited to, the following considerations:</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">i.   Any identified Plans for future use of any unused PEG channels within 12 months of the application filing date;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">ii.   Franchisor determination whether such use is in the public interest;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iii.   The comments of any affected municipality or the Municipal League; or</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iv.   Any other relevant information raised during the application review process.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">g.   If during the term in which a PEG channel is assigned to the franchisee for interim use, the franchisor determines that the PEG channel is needed to accommodate PEG requirements, the franchisor must issue a written notice to the franchisee identifying the PEG channel(s) it proposes to reclaim, specifying the planned use of the channel(s) and the date when the franchisor proposes to reclaim the channel(s), which date must be no earlier than 120 days from the date of the franchisor's notice. The franchisee must relinquish the use of any such PEG channel on the date specified by the franchisor.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">h.   At the expiration of the term under which any PEG channel is assigned to the franchisee for interim use, the franchisee may submit another application for its use. This application will be considered by the franchisor as a new application consistent with all the provisions of this Regulation.</paragraph>
      </subsection>
      <subsection heading="08A.18.01.02 PEG Agency or Organization Use of PEG Channels">
        <paragraph indent="2">a.   A public, educational. or governmental agency or organization desiring use of an unused PEG channel not previously assigned by Section 30 (B) of the Franchise Agreement must also request permission from the franchisor by submitting an application containing the following information:</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">i.   the number of PEG channels requested;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">ii.   the period of time per day per channel requested for use;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iii.   the intended use of the requested PEG channel(s);</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iv.   how use of the PEG channel(s) for the proposed purpose(s) serves the public interest.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">b.   The franchisor may approve, approve with conditions, or deny the public, educational, or governmental agency's request for use of PEG channels based on, but not limited to, the following considerations:</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">i.   any identified plans for future use of any unused PEG channels;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">ii.   franchisor determination whether such use is in the public interest;</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iii.   consistency with any County-Municipal Agreements; or</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="3">iv.   any other relevant information raised during the application review process.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">c.   The requesting PEG agency or organization must also provide any other information requested by the franchisor in reference to the application. The requesting agency must submit the application in as many copies as the franchisor determines necessary for distribution to appropriate parties.</paragraph>
        <paragraph indent="2">d.   The County Executive must make a decision on the PEG Agency or organization's request within 90 days of receipt of a complete application.</paragraph>
      </subsection>
      <subsection heading="08A.18.01.03 Effective Date">
        <paragraph indent="2">This regulation becomes effective 30 days after approval by the County Council.</paragraph>
      </subsection>
    </regulation>
  </section>
  <section heading="Chapter 8A, Sec. 8A-29 Administration - Regulations">
    <regulation heading="Chapter 8A, Sec. 8A-29 Administration - Regulations">
      <subsection heading="COMCOR 08A.29.01 Commercial Use of Public, Educational, and Government Access (PEG) Channels" />
      <subsection heading="COMCOR 08A.29.02 Regulation of Cable Television Basic Service and Equipment" />
    </regulation>
  </section>
</chapter>