2020 Georgia Code
Title 36 - Local Government
Chapter 76 - Expedited Franchising of Cable and Video Services
§ 36-76-2. Definitions

As used in this chapter, the term:

1. "Advertising and home shopping services revenues" means the amount of a cable service provider or video service provider's nonsubscriber revenues from advertising disseminated through cable service or video service and home shopping services. The amount of such revenues that are allocable to a municipality or county shall be equal to the total amount of the cable service provider or video service provider's revenue received from such advertising and home shopping services multiplied by the ratio of the number of such provider's subscribers located in such municipality or in the unincorporated area of such county to the total number of such provider's subscribers. Such ratio shall be based on the number of such provider's subscribers as of January 1 of the current year, except that in the first year in which services are provided, such ratio shall be computed as of the earliest practical date.
2. "Affected local governing authority" means any municipal governing authority when any part of such municipality is located within the service area and any county governing authority when any part of the unincorporated area of such county is located within the service area.
3. "Cable service" means the one-way transmission to subscribers of video programming or other programming service and subscriber interaction, if any, which is required for the selection or use of such video programming or other programming service. Cable service shall not include any video programming provided by a provider of commercial mobile service as defined in 47 U.S.C. Section 332(d) or video programming provided as part of and via a service that enable users to access content, information, e-mail, or other services offered over the public Internet.
4. "Cable service provider" means any person or group of persons:
   1. Who provides cable service over a cable system and directly or through one or more affiliates owns a significant interest in such cable system; or
   2. Who otherwise controls or is responsible for, through any arrangement, the management and operation of such a cable system.
5. "Cable system" means a facility consisting of a set of closed transmission paths and associated signal generation, reception, and control equipment that is designed to provide cable service which includes video programming and which is provided to multiple subscribers within a community, but such term shall not include:
   1. A facility that serves only to retransmit the television signals of one or more television broadcast stations;
   2. A facility that serves subscribers without using any public right of way as defined in this Code section;
   3. A facility of a common carrier which is subject, in whole or in part, to the provisions of 47 U.S.C. Sections 201 through 276, except that such facility shall be considered a cable system, other than for purposes of 47 U.S.C. Section 541(c), to the extent such facility is used in the transmission of video programming directly to subscribers, unless the extent of such use is solely to provide interactive on-demand services as that term is defined in 47 U.S.C. Section 522(12);
   4. An open video system that complies with 47 U.S.C. Section 573; or
   5. Any facility of any electric utility used solely for operating such electric utility system.
6. "Franchise" means an initial authorization or renewal of an authorization issued by a franchise authority, regardless of whether the authorization is designated as a franchise, permit, license, resolution, contract, ordinance, certificate, agreement, or otherwise, that authorizes the construction or operation of a cable service provider or video service provider's network in the public rights of way.
7. "Franchise authority" means any governmental entity empowered by federal, state, or local law to grant a franchise. With regard to the holder of a state franchise within the service areas covered by such state franchise, the Secretary of State shall be the sole franchising authority. With respect to a franchise agreement with a municipal or county governing authority, that municipality or county shall be the sole franchising authority within the service areas covered by that local franchise.
8. "Gross revenues" means all revenues received from subscribers for the provision of cable service or video service, including franchise fees for cable service providers and video service providers, and advertising and home shopping services revenues and shall be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Gross revenues shall not include:
   1. Amounts billed and collected as a line item on the subscriber's bill to recover any taxes, surcharges, or governmental fees that are imposed on or with respect to the services provided or measured by the charges, receipts, or payments therefor; provided, however, that for purposes of this Code section, such tax, surcharge, or governmental fee shall not include any ad valorem taxes, net income taxes, or generally applicable business or occupation taxes not measured exclusively as a percentage of the charges, receipts, or payments for services;
   2. Any revenue, such as bad debt, not actually received, even if billed;
   3. Any revenue received by any affiliate or any other person in exchange for supplying goods or services used by the provider to provide cable service or video programming;
   4. Any amounts attributable to refunds, rebates, or discounts;
   5. Any revenue from services provided over the network that are associated with or classified as noncable or nonvideo services under federal law, including, without limitation, revenues received from telecommunications services, information services other than cable service or video service, Internet access services, or directory or Internet advertising revenue, including, without limitation, yellow pages, white pages, banner advertisements, and electronic publishing advertising. Where the sale of any such noncable or nonvideo service is bundled with the sale of one or more cable services or video services and sold for a single nonitemized price, the term "gross revenues" shall include only those revenues that are attributable to cable service or video service based on the provider's books and records; such revenues shall be allocated in a manner consistent with generally accepted accounting principles;
   6. Any revenue from late fees not initially booked as revenues, returned check fees, or interest;
   7. Any revenue from sales or rental of property, except such property as the subscriber shall be required to buy or rent exclusively from the cable service provider or video service provider to receive cable service or video service;
   8. Any revenue received from providing or maintaining inside wiring;
   9. Any revenue from sales for resale with respect to which the purchaser shall be required to pay a franchise fee, provided the purchaser certifies in writing that it shall resell the service and pay a franchise fee with respect thereto; or
   10. Any amounts attributable to a reimbursement of costs including, but not limited to, the reimbursements by programmers of marketing costs incurred for the promotion or introduction of video programming.
9. "Incumbent service provider" means any cable service provider or video service provider providing cable service or video service, respectively, in a municipality or in an unincorporated area of a county on January 1, 2008.
10. "Original programming" means programming produced specifically for or about a municipality or county or citizens thereof and shall include public government meetings. Original programming shall not include character generated messages, video bulletin board messages, traffic cameras, or other passively produced content.
11. "PEG" means public, educational, or governmental.
12. "Public right of way" means the area in, on, along, over, or under the public roads that are part of the municipal or county road system or the state highway system.
13. "Service area" means the geographic territory within a municipality or unincorporated area of a county where a cable service provider or video service provider provides or has proposed to offer cable service or video service pursuant to a franchise.
14. "Subscriber" means any person or entity lawfully receiving video service from a video service provider or cable service from a cable service provider.
15. "Video programming" means programming provided by, or generally considered comparable to programming provided by, a television broadcast station, as set forth in 47 U.S.C. Section 522(20).
16. "Video service" means the provision of video programming through wireline facilities located at least in part in the public rights of way without regard to delivery technology, including Internet protocol technology. This term shall not include any video programming provided by a provider of commercial mobile service as defined in 47 U.S.C. Section 332(d) or video programming provided as part of and via a service that enables users to access content, information, e-mail, or other services offered over the public Internet.
17. "Video service provider" means an entity providing video service as defined in this Code section. This term shall not include a cable service provider.

(Code 1981, §36-76-2, enacted by Ga. L. 2007, p. 719, § 1/HB 227.)

- For article, "Revenue and Taxation: Amend Titles 48, 2, 28, 33, 36, 46, and 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Relating Respectively to Revenue and Taxation, Agriculture, the General Assembly, Insurance, Local Government, Public Utilities, and State Government," see 28 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 217 (2011).