The governing body shall regulate basic service rates in accordance with the substantive and procedural provisions of the federal law and any applicable state law or regulations or local ordinances.
A. 
Within 30 days of receiving written notification from the municipality that the municipality has been certified by the FCC to regulate rates for the basic service, a cable operator shall file its schedule of rates for the basic service and associated equipment with the municipality, together with the fee specified by § 150-9F.
B. 
At least 30 days prior to increasing its rates for the basic service, a cable operator shall notify each subscriber of the proposed rate increase and shall file a notice of its proposed rate increase with the municipality, together with the fee specified by § 150-9F.
C. 
Within 20 days of filing a schedule of rates or a proposed rate increase with the municipality, a cable operator shall publish a summary of the rates or rate increase in a newspaper of general circulation for at least three consecutive days and cablecast a summary of the rates or rate increase on its public information channel at least twice daily at such times as are reasonably expected to reach the largest audience, over a three-day period, in each case notifying interested parties that they must submit written comments by a certain date within 30 days of the cable operator's filing with the municipality at the appropriate address.
D. 
A cable operator shall comply with all orders of the municipality except that a cable operator shall not be required to comply with an order if the cable operator demonstrates that complying with the order would require the cable operator to disclose proprietary information.
A. 
Within 20 days of receiving a cable operator's schedule of rates or a proposed rate increase, the municipality shall publish at least once in a newspaper of general circulation a notice that interested parties shall submit written comments to the municipality by a date certain within 30 days of the cable operator's filing with the municipality at the appropriate address.
B. 
The municipality shall make any decision on the reasonableness of current basic service rates or proposed rate increases pursuant to the procedural and substantive provisions of the federal law.
C. 
Prior to making any decision on the reasonableness of current basic rates or proposed rate increases, the municipality shall receive comments on the matter from all interested citizens. This process shall include both the receipt of written comments as described in § 150-12A as well as the receipt of oral comments at a public meeting of the governing body. Oral comments may be received at the public meeting at which the rate decision is made so long as the comments precede the final vote on the decision.
In rendering its decisions, the governing body shall have the full authority granted to it pursuant to the federal law to order a cable operator to take any and all actions as the federal law permits, including, without limitation:
A. 
Ordering a cable operator to implement a reduction in basic service tier or associated equipment rates where necessary to bring rates into compliance with the standards set forth in the federal law.
B. 
Prescribing a reasonable rate for the basic service tier or associated equipment after it determines that a proposed rate is unreasonable.
C. 
Ordering a cable operator to refund to subscribers that portion of previously paid rates determined to be in excess of the permitted tier charge or above the actual cost of equipment, unless the operator has submitted a cost-of-service showing which justified the rate charged as reasonable. Before ordering such a refund, however, the municipality shall give the operator notice and shall give the operator 15 days from the date such notice is given to submit written comments to the municipality. Any such refund order shall be further subject to the limitations contained in the federal law.
[Amended 12-28-1998 by Ord. No. 917; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
This chapter shall be enforced by action brought before a Magisterial District Judge in the same manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. In the event that a cable operator does not comply with a decision made pursuant to this chapter and directed specifically toward the cable operator, the cable operator shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding, pay a fine of not more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution, and in default of the payment of the fine and costs of prosecution, shall be imprisoned for a period not exceeding 30 days. Every day the violation continues shall be a separate offense.