2013 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 58 - Public Utilities, Services and Carriers
CHAPTER 12 - CABLE TELEVISION
SECTION 58-12-330. Payments to municipalities and counties.

(A) Except as otherwise provided in Section 58-12-310, the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority must pay a municipality or county a franchise fee equal to a specified percentage of the holder's gross revenues received from (1) the provision of cable or video service to subscribers located within the municipality or unincorporated areas of the county, and (2) from advertising and home shopping services as allocated under subsection (B) below. The specified percentage, hereafter referred to as the "state-issued certificate holder's franchise fee rate", must not exceed the lesser of the incumbent cable service provider's franchise fee rate imposed by the municipality or county, if any, or five percent of the holder's gross revenues as defined in this article. No change to the franchise fee set forth in a state-issued certificate of franchise authority is effective earlier than forty-five days after the Secretary of State provides the holder of the state-issued certificate of franchise authority written notice of the change.

(B) The amount of a cable or video service provider's nonsubscriber revenues from advertising and home shopping services that is allocable to a municipality or unincorporated area of a county is equal to the total amount of such cable or video service provider's revenue received from advertising and home shopping services multiplied by the ratio of the number of subscribers in such municipality or in the unincorporated area of such county on the preceding January first to the total number of subscribers receiving cable or video service from such cable or video service provider on that date.

(C) A municipality or county promptly must notify the Secretary of State of any change to its cable or video service franchise fee rate, and no such change shall be effective as to the holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority earlier than forty-five days after the Secretary of State provides the holder written notice of the change.

(D) The holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority must quarterly pay the amount of the franchise fees payable under this section to the affected municipalities and counties. Each quarterly payment must be made within thirty days after the end of the quarter for the preceding calendar quarter. Each payment must be accompanied by a statement showing, for the quarter covered by the payment, the state-issued certificate holder's gross revenues from cable or video service attributable to the municipality or unincorporated areas of the county that impose a state-issued certificate holder's franchise fee, the applicable state-issued certificate holder's franchise fee rate for the municipality or county, and the portion of the aggregate payment attributable to the municipality or county. Any supporting statements are confidential and are exempt from disclosure under any provision of state law.

(E) The holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority may designate that portion of a subscriber's bill attributable to a franchise fee imposed pursuant to this article and may recover such amount from the subscriber as a separate item on the bill.

(F) No municipality or county shall levy a tax, license, fee, or other assessment on a cable or video service provider other than the collection of the franchise fee authorized by this section or a cable franchise fee imposed upon a cable service provider before January 1, 2006; provided, that nothing in this article shall restrict the right of a municipality or county to impose ad valorem taxes, service fees, sales taxes, or other taxes and fees lawfully imposed on other businesses within the municipality or county.

(G) The franchise fee allowed by this section is in lieu of a permit fee, encroachment fee, degradation fee, or other fee assessed on a holder of a state-issued certificate of franchise authority for its occupation of or work within the public rights-of-way with regard to the provision of cable or video service.

HISTORY: 2006 Act No. 288, Section 4, eff May 23, 2006; 2007 Act No. 8, Section 2, eff March 30, 2007.