Howard County                                   2665

HOWARD COUNTY CABLE TELEVISION
SYSTEMS FRANCHISE ACT

14.700    Short Title.

This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Howard County
Cable Television Systems Franchise Act."

14.701    Definitions.

For the purpose of this Act: (a) when not inconsistent with the con-
text, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the
plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular
number include the plural number (b) The word "shall" is always man-
datory and not merely directory (c) The following terms, phrases, words
and their derivations shall have the meaning given herein:

A.   "Howard County" means Howard County, Maryland, a municipal
corporation.

B.   "Council" means the present County Council of Howard County
or any successor to the legislative powers of the present County Council.

C.   "Executive" means the present County Executive of Howard
County or any successor to the present County Executive.

D.   "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, cor-
poration, legal entity or organization of any kind.

E.   "Community Antenna Television System", means a system com-
posed of, without limitation, antenna, cables, wires, lines, towers, wave
guides, laser beams, or any other conductors, converters, equipment or
facilities, designed, constructed or wired for the purpose of producing, re-
ceiving, amplifying and distributing by coaxial cable audio and/or visual
radio, television, electronic or electrical signals to and from persons,
subscribers and locations in Howard County, Maryland.

F.   "Streets" means the surface of and the space above and below any
street, road, highway, freeway, bridge, land path, alley, court, boulevard,
sidewalk, parkway, waterway, docks, wharf, pier, tunnel and public ground
now or hereafter existing within Howard County, and shall be now held
or hereafter held by Howard County which shall within their proper use
and meaning entitle Howard County and its Grantee to use thereof for the
purpose of installing or transmitting CATV transmissions over poles, wire,
cables, conductors, ducts, conduits, vaults, manholes, amplifiers, appliances,
attachments and other property as may ordinarily be necessary and per-
tinent to a CATV system.

G.   "Franchise" means the non-exclusive authorization granted pur-
suant to this Act to occupy or use the streets within Howard County for
the construction, operation and maintenance of a Community Antenna
Television System within the County limits of Howard County.

H. "Grantee" means the person, company or corporation so desig-
nated by the County Executive and the County Council to receive a non-
exclusive franchise.

I. "Subscriber" means any person or entity receiving for any pur-
pose the CATV service of the Grantee for a fee.

J. "Gross Annual Receipts" shall mean all revenue derived directly
or indirectly by the Grantee, its affiliates, subsidiaries, parents, and any