July 11, 2024 

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Eastern

 

Telecom:  Modern Franchising - Authority, Revenue, & Digital Equality

Description: This CLE will show how cable franchises are still important contracts for local governments, discuss the impact of streaming video on these contracts, and review recent litigation and legislation. We will discuss how modern broadband franchising could be used to best ensure equal access to broadband, including a review of current litigation, legislation, the BEAD program, the Internet Tax Freedom Act (ITFA), and FCC advocacy. We will also review the FCC's Digital Discrimination Order, municipal participation in the docket, and its appeal to the Eighth Circuit.

Speaker: Michael “Mike” Bradley

Bio: Mike Bradley has spent nearly his entire 30+ year career representing local governments on telecommunications issues. Throughout that time, he has had the privilege of representing many municipal clients continuously. His work has included working with financial consultants on franchise fee reviews to ensure his clients receive all of the consideration bargained for in their franchise agreements. Mike successfully defended the right of cities to receive cable franchise fees in Oklahoma. He also litigated in federal court whether revenues from the provision of internet service should be included in cable franchise fees. Mike is one of a handful of attorneys in the country that has represented local government clients in the formal cable franchise renewal process. Mike and his firm represented municipal clients in all three FCC Section 621 cable franchising proceedings from 2006 to present, including the recent litigation before the Sixth Circuit. He has also filed in the FCC Digital Discrimination and Cable Pricing dockets. Mike has advised and testified on communications legislation in multiple jurisdictions. Early in his career, Mike assisted the City of St. Paul in getting city and state funding for a new hockey arena and bringing the NHL back to the State of Hockey. Mike has received the highest attorney ratings from Martindale-Hubble and AVVO and has been recognized multiple times as a Communications Law “Super Lawyer,” by Minnesota Super Lawyer magazine. He is admitted to practice before multiple state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court.