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Fairview to sign termination with Ziply for cable franchise; city may gain more control over broadband right-of-way fees
Summary
Fairview’s City Council voted Aug. 6 to enter a formal termination agreement with Ziply for the city’s cable franchise, a step staff said could let the city set fees for broadband use of public right-of-way after Ziply exits the cable-TV market.
The Fairview City Council voted Aug. 6 to approve a resolution authorizing a formal termination agreement with Ziply for the city’s cable franchise, a move staff said reflects Ziply’s nationwide decline in cable subscribers and could allow the city to set fees governing use of the public right-of-way for broadband deployments.
Why it matters: Ziply inherited Frontier’s cable franchise in 2019 and later notified regional regulators it would not renew the cable business as traditional cable subscribers declined. Staff told council that terminating the cable franchise agreement removes the city’s current franchise relationship tied to cable-TV and opens the right-of-way for other telecom operators; that may allow the city to set distinct fees for broadband infrastructure that were previously preempted under the cable franchise structure.
Staff presentation: Nate Bidgeley, a project manager, summarized Ziply’s history in Fairview and the termination process negotiated with the regional cable regulatory commission. He told council Ziply maintained “very low” cable-TV subscriber counts in Fairview and countywide; he cited a November 2024 subscriber estimate of roughly 100–200 Fairview households as context for the termination. Bidgeley said Ziply will continue to provide internet service to customers but intends to exit the cable-TV market and that termination would end the city’s cable-fee revenue stream tied specifically to cable-TV service.
Budget implications discussed: staff noted the city may lose any remaining cable franchise revenue but could recoup some revenue if customers switch to other providers such as Comcast. Bidgeley also said terminating the cable franchise could enable the city to set fees related to use of the right-of-way for broadband deployments, a change that could be net positive for municipal utility-related revenues but requires further analysis.
Council action: the council approved the staff-recommended resolution to enter a formal termination agreement with Ziply (Resolution 25-2025) by voice vote.
Next steps: staff indicated they could request more detailed subscriber and financial information from Ziply or the regional commission if council desires, and that regulators and the council will continue to coordinate the termination process.
Quotes in this article are taken from the Aug. 6, 2025 Fairview City Council meeting record.
