TRENTON – Senator Joseph V. Doria, D-Hudson, issued the following statement today regarding the Senate’s final legislative approval, by a vote of 31-5, of a bill that would foster cable competition in New Jersey and allow telecommunications companies to compete in the television broadcast arena:
“New Jerseyans will soon be able to see real savings on their cable bills, as Statewide franchises for cable TV puts downward pressure on rates and cable companies have to provide better deals for their consumers or get priced out of the market. With the Governor’s signature, cable competition in New Jersey will become a reality.
“Where TV service providers have been allowed to compete, the rate reductions have been phenomenal. In Texas, where competition was embraced with a statewide franchise agreement similar to what we’re proposing in New Jersey, cable bills went down between 30 and 40 percent. These are results that cannot be ignored.
“In a free marketplace, the ultimate winner is the consumer, and that will be the case with television broadcasting services. For so long, the very nature of cable TV kept competition out, and rates were set arbitrarily. Now, the technology is there to build a competing infrastructure, and we can finally bring free market mentality to bear, to the benefit of New Jersey’s cable TV consumers.”
The bill now heads to the Governor’s Desk to be signed into law.