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as a minimum the following must be contained in a franchise awarded: <br /> 1. The extension policy should be identical. The grantee of <br /> a competing franchise in the unincorporated areas of the County must <br /> be required to provide 160 miles of trunk cable within eighteen months <br /> of the franchise. In the case of Alert, it is my opinion that the trunk <br /> cable already serving the unincorporated areas of the County could be <br /> counted in this requirement provided that cable has the ability to <br /> handle the system that would be required. <br /> 2. Prices competitive with those presently existing. <br /> 3. "Two-way" capability activated within a reasonable <br /> period of time. <br /> 4. A state of the art system capable of providing a <br /> minimum of thirty-five channel capacity activated in a reasonable <br /> period of time (one year to eighteen months after the franchise <br /> award). <br /> 5. Bonding, construction and insurance requirements <br /> identical to those in effect for the franchise with Village. <br /> 6. Local origination programming comparable to that <br /> offered by Village. <br /> This list may not be complete. I recommend that should <br /> the County be inclined to make such an offering to Alert and others <br /> that the requirements of its franchise to Village, particularly in the <br /> techni+1 aspects, be reviewed by a person or persons familiar with <br /> the technicalities of cable television and the recommendations of such <br /> a person or persons be taken into consideration. <br /> The Orange County Cable Television System Ordinance <br /> provides, in Sec. IV(a), the procedure for granting a franchise. <br /> Whenever it is deemed necessary by the Board to seek proposals for <br /> franchises it "shall first publish a notice seeking applications for <br /> franchises in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the United <br /> States and in a newspaper of general circulation throughout Orange <br /> County!" There are additional requirements contained in Sec. IV and <br /> other sections of the Cable Television System Ordinance which must <br /> be followed. In addition the request for proposals envisioned by the <br /> ordinance should contain the specific requirements necessary to insure <br /> that another franchise, if awarded, is similar to the existing franchise. <br /> I hope all of this is helpful. Decisions in the past have <br />