DESPITE RESERVATIONS VOICED BY THE CABLE OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY, THE HOPKINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE AGREEMENT REACHED BY MAYOR DAN KEMP AND AT&T KENTUCKY PRESIDENT MARY PAT REGAN LAST WEEK.
COUNCILMAN CHARLIE HENDERSON MADE THE MOTION AFTER AN HOUR LONG CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSION, WHICH MEMBERS ANN CHERRY AND DAVE FERNANDEZ WERE NOT A PART OF.
THE COUNCIL VOTED 10 TO 0, WITH CHERRY AND FERNANDEZ ABSTAINING DUE TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
MAYOR DAN KEMP SAYS WHILE AT&T WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A FRANCHISE LICENSE, THE AGREEMENT SETS FORTH GUIDELINES THE COMPANY MUST FOLLOW.
HE ADDS THE FACTS THAT THIS IS A NEW SERVICE AND THE PENDING LAWSUITS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN DRAWING UP AN AGREEMENT.
THE SEVEN YEAR AGREEMENT PROVIDES THAT AT&T CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANYONE BASTED ON THE INCOME OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE LOCAL AREA AND THAT THE CITY CANNOT SUBJECT AT&T TO REGULATIONS UNDER ANY CABLE TELEVISION FRANCHISE ORDINANCE OR SIMILAR ORDINANCE.
MAYOR KEMP SAYS THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THE OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY’S CONCERNS, BUT MADE A DECISION THAT IS BEST FOR THE RESIDENTS.
AT&T KENTUCKY SPOKESMAN, MIKE MARKER SAYS THEY ARE PLEASED WITH THE COUNCIL’S DECISION BECAUSE THEY WANT TO EXPAND THEIR OFFERINGS IN HOPKINSVILLE.
HE ADDS THE COMPANY IS PROUD OF THEIR U-VERSE SERVICE AND THINK CONSUMERS WILL BE HAPPY WITH IT.
KEMP AND REGAN SIGNED THE AGREEMENT FOLLOWING THE SPECIAL MEETING WITH ATTORNEY DOUG WILLEN PREPARED TO FILE DISMISSAL PAPERS IN FEDERAL COURT TODAY (TUESDAY). MEANWHILE, NEWWAVE PRESIDENT AND CEO, JIM GLEASON TOLD THE NEWS EDGE HE HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE TO THOROUGHLY INSPECT THE AGREEMENT, BUT HE IS STILL CONFUSED AS TO WHY AT&T REFUSES TO MAKE THE SAME COMMITMENT TO HOPKINSVILLE THAT NEWWAVE MADE. HE ADDED THAT THE COMPANY WILL BE TALKING WITH LEGAL COUNCIL TODAY (TUESDAY) TO DISCUSS ITS PENDING LAWSUIT.
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