§ 39-19-6.1. Public education and government television studios and equipment. (a) The division shall be empowered to manage and operate public, education and government (PEG) access television in Rhode Island; provided, however, that an existing cable television certificate holder may, at its sole discretion, and for as long as it desires to do so, elect to continue to manage a PEG access studio within its service area.

(b) In carrying out the purposes of this section, the division may designate another entity, whether public or private, to actually manage the day-to-day operations of any PEG access studios not being actively managed and operated by an existing cable television certificate holder. These day-to-day operations shall include the responsibility of programming statewide interconnect channels, and managing interconnect playback in conjunction with the management of PEG playback.

(c) The division shall fund the operations authorized under this section through PEG access and interconnect fees, which shall be established by the division following public hearing and notice to the state's cable television certificate holders. Such fees shall be paid by the state's cable television certificate holders, who may in turn pass through such expenses to their respective subscribers in accordance with federal law.

(d) In furtherance of exercising this authority, the division shall promulgate such reasonable rules and regulations that the division deems necessary to carry out its responsibilities.

History of Section. (P.L. 2013, ch. 144, art. 7, § 6.)