Principal Michael Watza led Michigan based municipal clients who joined a host of communities from across the country in filing their petitions for Writ of Certiorari in the US Supreme Court on November 1, 2021. See here and see the Supreme Court Docket for the matter here.

The Petition seeks review of the US 6th Circuit Opinion upholding significant aspects of the FCC’s Federal Cable Act Sec 621 Order, which sought to allow the cable industry to assess against local communities, the value of “in kind” benefits pursuant to local community cable franchise rights, allows cable providers to provide services beyond “cable/video” on the strength of cable/video only franchise agreement and, sought to preempt a State of Oregon Supreme Court Opinion concerning ROW access and associated fees.

PROTEC, MML, MTA, City of Livonia and the Mid-Michigan Cable Consortium are represented by the Kitch firm and Mike with the very able and much appreciated assistance of our friends at Best Best & Krieger in Washington D.C.

Michael J. Watza heads the governmental litigation and affairs practice at the Kitch firm. Mr. Watza’s areas of concentration include litigated, legislative and administrative solutions on behalf of municipal, non-profit and private sector clients in the areas of Telecommunications, Energy, Complex Litigation and Legislative Consulting.

Kitch Files at the U.S. Supreme Court over FCC Order

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