(A) Interconnection required. The grantee shall begin good faith negotiations to interconnect public usage channels of the cable system with any or all other cable systems in adjacent areas, upon the directive of the grantor. Interconnection of systems shall permit interactive transmission and reception of program material, and may be done by direct cable connection, microwave link, satellite, or other appropriate method.
(B) Interconnection procedure.
(1) Upon receiving the directive of the grantor to interconnect, the grantee shall immediately initiate negotiations with the other affected system or systems. The cost shall be borne by both grantees, in the proportion of number of channels received to total number of channels transmitted and received, under the assumption that benefits accrue primarily through receipt of additional channels.
(2) In the case of regional or state-wide interconnection, the same principle shall apply.
(C) Relief. The grantee may be granted reasonable extensions of time to interconnect or the grantor may rescind its order to interconnect upon petition by the grantee to the grantor. The grantor may grant the request if it finds that the grantee has negotiated in good faith and has failed to obtain an approval from the system or systems of the proposed interconnection, or that the cost of the interconnection would cause an unreasonable or unacceptable increase in subscriber rates.
(D) Cooperation required. The grantee shall cooperate with any interconnection corporation, regional interconnection authority or city, county, state, and federal regulatory agency which may be hereafter established for the purpose of regulating, financing, or otherwise providing for the interconnection of cable systems beyond the boundaries of the franchise territory.
(E) Initial technical requirements to assure future interconnection capability.
(1) All cable systems receiving franchises to operate within the franchise territory shall use the same frequency allocations for commonly provided television signals so far as is technically and economically feasible.
(2) The grantee shall provide local origination and access equipment that is compatible throughout the area so that videocassettes or videotapes can be shared by various systems.
(Prior Code, § 115.081) (Ord. D-1485, § 7.12, passed 6-3-1985, effective 6-13-1985)