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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesPSC GRANTS LICENSE RENEWALS TO CABLE FIRMS

PSC GRANTS LICENSE RENEWALS TO CABLE FIRMS

At its meeting Friday, the Public Services Commission approved 15-year franchise renewals for both St. Croix Cable TV and St. Thomas-St. John Cable TV.
The PSC's hearing officer, Attorney Frederick Watts, recommended the license renewals for the companies, both of which are owned by Innovative Communication Corp.
Watts also recommended that the approval include a PSC requirement that the cable companies provide community public-access channels at some time in the future, should they be asked to do so by the commission.
The meeting, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., was without a quorum until early afternoon, when commission member Dora Hill arrived to join PSC chairman Walter Challenger, Alecia Wells and Patrick Williams.
In other matters, the commission:
* approved the assessment of fees of $75,000 for the Virgin Islands Telephone Corp., $50,000 for the Water And Power Authority, $6,000 for St. Thomas-St. John Cable TV and $3,000 for St. Croix Cable TV.
* heard testimony from WAPA executive director Raymond George on the utility's intent to seek legislation to impose a fixed minimum fee for customers connected to city water, even if they use only cistern water, and to require a deposit of such customers.
* heard testimony from George that the Department of Public Works owes WAPA $3.5 million for streetlights and that WAPA wants to take over jurisdiction for lighting, including on private roads.

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