A New York state assemblymember from the Hudson Valley has introduced legislation to keep local news on cable TV.
Democratic Assemblymember Tom Abinanti introduced a bill to require cable and telecom companies who do business in New York to provide original local news programming. The bill is reportedly the first of its kind in the nation. It comes after Verizon announced in August it would eliminate Fios 1 News in the lower Hudson Valley, on Long Island and in New Jersey. Long Island Democrat Kevin Thomas sponsors the bill in the Senate. The legislation defines local news programming and says, “it is vital to the public health, safety and welfare that residents be informed about news and weather events and their impacts on their local communities.” Verizon officials say they’ll carry News 12 instead.
