Barbara Esbin Rises At Cinnamon Mueller

Also available at Multichannel News website.

Next-Generation EAS: The Emergency Alert System, Common Alerting Protocol, and National Tests – Oh My!

Also available at Independent Cable News website.

What You Need to Know About the 2011 Retransmission Consent Cycle

Also available at Independent Cable News website.

American Cable Association Comcast/NBCU Comments.

American Cable Association Third Way Reply Comments.

American Cable Association Third Way Comments.

Retransmission Consent Outlook: Difficult and Costly (originally appeared in the July/August 2010 issue of Rural Telecom).

VOIP: Competitive and Operating Consideration

By Nicole E. Paolini

Last month we looked at the regulatory framework – or lack thereof – for VoIP over cable.  With the current regulatory uncertainty, why should you get in the VoIP game?  Because many independent cable operators will soon face heavy competition from the Regional Bell Companies (“RBOCs”) and rural telcos for the triple play – voice, video and data.
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Getting into the telephone business with VoIP – Some regulatory and business considerations – Part I

By Nicole Paolini And Ly S. Chhay Of Cinnamon Mueller

Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) is on everyone’s tongue these days, especially FCC Chairman Michael Powell’s. VoIP is more efficient and less expensive than circuit-switched telephony, allows for “killer apps,” and, in its purer forms, is portable. A subscriber to pulver.com’s Free World Dialup or Vonage’s DigitalVoice can make and receive calls anywhere in the world that he can find Internet access.    These advantages over Plain Old Telephone Service (“POTS”) are leading many independent cable operators to consider deploying VoIP. This article, the first of two parts, gives an overview of the regulatory treatment of VoIP.  Next month, we’ll look at some business issues cable operators will want to consider when evaluating a possible VoIP launch.              Continue Reading

Retransmission Consent Part 2: Key Regulations and a Recent FCC Case

Chris Cinnamon and Emily A. Denney

As the next round of retransmission consent approaches, there are FCC rules you should be familiar with.  One of the most powerful rules for cable operators is the requirement that a broadcaster negotiate retransmission consent in good faith.    Read below for key information.

FCC Regulations You Should Know – Good Faith is Key   You are not alone if you are asking yourself…  “What are broadcasters allowed to do under the rules?”  This section should help answer your question.  The rules allow broadcasters to do the following: Continue Reading

Retransmission Consent: Get Ready for October – Part 1

Nicole E. Paolini, Ly S. Chhay, and Chris Cinnamon, Cinnamon Mueller Attorneys

The next round of retransmission consent negotiations is just a few months away.  It will be the most difficult yet for small cable companies.  The DTV transition, more media consolidation, cash for carriage demands, DBS competition and a process skewed in favor of powerful network broadcasters will all combine to make for tough negotiations.  Now is the time to start planning.  This article gives you some tips for how to prepare now for negotiations.  Our next article will discuss key regulations governing the retransmission consent process and some recent FCC cases dealing with retransmission consent disputes.
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Getting Your Deal Done – Considerations For Selling And Buying Small Systems – Part II

By Kurt Mueller and Chris Cinnamon Cinnamon Mueller Attorneys

This is the second in a series on considerations in selling and buying a small cable system.  In last month’s issue of ICN, we discussed the first two steps that occur after you and your broker have found a potential buyer or seller – the letter of intent and due diligence.  Here we focus on the purchase agreement. Continue Reading

Getting Your Deal Done – Considerations For Selling And Buying Small Systems

By Kurt Mueller and Chris Cinnamon Cinnamon Mueller Attorneys

As the economy firms up, we see increasing activity in the selling and buying of small cable systems.  Clustering, spin offs, market reentry by cable veterans, all are resulting in more interest and action in small cable deals.  While some parts of a small cable deal are like any other transaction, many aspects are unique.  After all, cable is still a heavily regulated business, and a cable system has several types of assets that warrant careful consideration before and during the sale process.  To help you better plan for a purchase or sale, we have prepared a two-part series on considerations in selling and buying a small cable system.  We break the sale process down into four steps.  Continue Reading

Buying and Selling Smaller Cable Systems
Pointers and Pitfalls from the Lawyer’s Perspective

By Christopher C. Cinnamon
And Emily A. Denney
Of Cinnamon Mueller

Introduction

We are seeing increasing activity in the selling and buying of small cable systems.
Clustering, spin offs, market reentry by cable veterans, all are resulting in more interest and
action in the smaller cable sector.  While some parts of a small cable deal are like any other
transaction, many aspects are unique.  After all, cable is still a heavily regulated business, and a
cable system has several types of assets that warrant careful consideration during the sale
process.
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Thinking About Retransmission Consent — Part 1

Important Recent FCC Activity, And A Small Concession From Disney/ABC
Scott Friedman and Heidi Schmid, Cinnamon Mueller Attorneys

Thinking About Retransmission Consent — Part 1:
Important Recent FCC Activity, And
A Small Concession From Disney/ABC
By Scott Friedman and Heidi Schmid, Cinnamon Mueller

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