Cable Television Licensing

KP Law is a leader in cable television licensing. We have successfully represented over 20% of the cities and towns in Massachusetts in all phases of license renewals including negotiations, consultations, evaluations, rate increases, and execution of contracts. Attorney William Hewig, III has specialized in this area of law for 17 years and is at the forefront of emerging cable issues including licenses with Verizon and all other Massachusetts cable providers.

KP Law provides a comprehensive array of cable services. We have guided many communities through the complex process of license renewal negotiation and competitive initial cable television licenses and have a familiarity with the major issues confronting licensing agencies during the renewal process. We have conducted and overseen public hearings, offered advice and direction about the ascertainment process, advised about and conducted compliance hearings, and drafted and negotiated many cable renewal licenses. We have also advised and assisted in license transfer proceedings, and in the establishment of not-for-profit cable access corporations.

Our background and expertise in general municipal law allow us to assure licensing bodies are informed not only with respect to cable licensing issues, but also the general responsibilities of such public bodies with respect to such matters as the Open Meeting Law, Public Records Law, and State Ethics. We have conducted extensive legal research and reviewed many licenses as to form, and provided many legal opinions involving cable-related issues over the years. We have also conducted numerous presentations and seminars on various cable-related issues to community and multi-community audiences in an effort to assist appointed cable commissions and boards in understanding the laws governing cable television operations in Massachusetts, and the role of local licensing agencies.