February 22, 1994 SEMINARS ON CABLE TELEVISION REGULATION The Federal Communications Commission will hold seminars on cable television regulation in Boston on March 8-10, in Chicago on March 15-17, in Kansas City on March 22-24, and in San Francisco on April 12-14, 1994. The seminars are open to all state and local regulatory officials, congressional and state legislative members and their staffs, consumer protection agencies and other consumer groups, and state attorneys general. The Commission will also produce an educational videotape from these seminars and this tape will be available to the public. In addition, the Commission is preparing a one-day televised seminar for cable television system operators that has tentatively been scheduled for April 5, 1994. Additional information about this seminar will be released in the near future. The goals of these seminars are to strengthen the FCC's working relationship with state and local officials in the area of cable regulation; to educate franchising authorities about the certification process and their regulatory authority; to help consumers understand their rights under the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992; and to assist cable television system operators with compliance under the Cable Act and the Commission's Rules. The Boston, Chicago, Kansas City and San Francisco seminar programs are identical. There will be a check-in registration on the first day from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and a get- acquainted reception with FCC personnel from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. On the second day there will be a check-in period and coffee hour beginning at 7:00 am. The program will begin at 8:00 am and end at 5:30 pm. The session on this day will emphasize cable television system rate regulation issues. Other topics, including the certification process for franchising authorities, will also be addressed. The session on the third day will include a check-in period beginning at 7:00 am and a one-hour breakfast reception beginning at 8:00 am. The general session will begin at 9:00 am and end at 5:30 pm. The session on the third day will cover, among other things, rate regulation, the rate complaint process, the carriage of broadcast signals on cable television systems, customer service and subscriber signal quality standards, cable home wiring, leased commercial access and public, educational and governmental access channels, program content issues, and the Commission's proposal for cable-compatible consumer home electronic equipment. Speakers for the seminars will be drawn from the staff of the Commission's Cable Services Bureau, which has primary responsibility for administering the terms and conditions of the Cable Act. Specially designed material, including a primer on cable television regulation, a cable television information bulletin, subject fact sheets, and videotapes, will be available for review. There is no registration fee for these seminars, but each participant must submit a registration form and seating is limited. To register for one of the seminars or for more information, please contact any of the FCC representatives listed on the attached sheet. CABLE SEMINAR SITES AND CONTACTS BOSTON SEMINAR MARCH 8-10, 1994 Site: Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts Contact: Fran Renehan, FCC Representative Telephone: (617) 770-4023 FAX: (617) 770-2408 CHICAGO SEMINAR MARCH 15-17, 1994 Site: Clarion Hotel, Rosemont, Illinois Contact: Chris Jelinek, FCC Representative Telephone: (708) 298-5401 FAX: (708) 298-5401 KANSAS CITY SEMINAR MARCH 22-24, 1994 Site: Park Place Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri Contact: Karen Raines, FCC Representative Telephone: (816) 353-8201 FAX: (816) 353-0611 SAN FRANCISCO SEMINAR APRIL 12-14, 1994 Site: Clarion Hotel San Francisco Airport, Millbrae, California Contact: Amy Freundlich, FCC Representative Telephone: (510) 732-9046 FAX: (310) 865-0736 News Media Contacts: Maureen Peratino or Susan Lewis Sallet, (202) 632-5050. Cable Services Bureau Contact: Cynthia Ward Jeffries (202) 416-0902.