CABLE-CONTRACT DISPUTE

Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that if, due to a contract dispute, a cable or video provider will not be providing a customer or subscriber with a channel for which the customer or subscriber has been or will be billed, the cable or video provider shall, within 10 days after the cable or video provider knows that the contract dispute will result in the loss of the channel, provide each affected customer or subscriber with notice that the channel will not be provided due to a contract dispute. Provides that if a cable or video provider does not provide a customer or subscriber with a channel for which the customer or subscriber has been billed, then the cable or video provider shall credit the customer or subscriber $5 per channel for each month that the customer or subscriber does not receive the channel due to the contract dispute. Provides that the credit shall be applied on the statement issued to the customer or subscriber for the next monthly billing cycle. Provides that responsibility for payment of the credit shall be split evenly between all parties to the contract dispute, with reimbursement from the broadcaster to be made promptly to the cable or video provider. Provides that the provisions apply to any channel regardless of whether it is a local, a regional, or a paid channel and regardless of whether the customer is billed separately for the channel.