Please join the North Texas Global Telecommunications Society (NTGTS) for its December Monthly Networking Event taking place on Thursday, December 7, 2006 at The Richardson Hotel, 701 East Campbell Road, Richardson, TX.  The program will run from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST.  NTGTS is pleased to host and welcome Kathleen LaValle, Partner, at Jackson Walker L.L.P. 

LaValle  will discuss "Texas Brand on Video and Cable Franchising." Historically, the often lengthy process of negotiating municipal franchises has been cited as an impediment to entry for competitive cable providers.  Through recent legislation that transfers franchising authority on a state-wide basis to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), Texas has emerged as a leader, modernizing and expediting the franchising process at the state level.  At the federal level, the FCC likewise is evaluating the extent to which traditional franchising processes may be adversely impacting entry, a key issue as competitive video and cable service providers seek to roll out and expand their offers. Ms.LaValle's presentation will provide an update as to developments on these various fronts.  The presentation will include a report on the status of pending legal challenges to the Texas model franchise authority legislation.  

Kathleen McElroy LaValle is a partner in the Litigation section of Jackson Walker.  With the passage of the Federal Telecommunications Act in 1996, Ms. LaValle became centrally involved in high profile state and federal regulatory proceedings impacting the expansion of competition in the communications industry.  Ms. LaValle served as lead outside counsel in pivotal arbitration proceedings establishing interconnection agreement terms permitting competitive local exchange companies to enter and expand their presence within the local service market. More recently, Ms. LaValle's regulatory practice has expanded to include proceedings impacting the deregulated electric industry.  For more information on Ms. LaValle's background and Jackson Walker L.L.P., please see:  www.jw.com.

Program Agenda:

6:00 p.m. Registration and Networking

6:45 p.m. Speaker Presentation

7:30 p.m. Discussion, Q&A

7:45 p.m. Networking Continues

NTGTS will meet in the Boots & Brix lounge area of the hotel. There will be door prize drawings, a cash bar, and light hors d'oeuvres provided by the hotel.

Drink specials from 5-7 p.m. CST are: House wine and rail drinks 50% off. Please be sure to mention to the hotel staff that you are attending the NTGTS event in order to receive the happy hour specials being offered. **Prices are subject to change.

** For hotel information, see http://www.therichardsonhotel.com . NTGTS or Communications and Technology Connections (CTC) Members are free.  The fee is $10.00 per person for Non-Members.

RSVP

NTGTS/CTC members may RSVP to programs@ntgts.org if you plan to attend by Tuesday, December 5, since space is limited. When responding, please provide your full contact information. If you plan to bring a guest(s), please provide your guest's information as well. Non-members and guests may register for this event in advance via the NTGTS/CTC website. Please go to:  http://www.ntgts.org/zenCart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=67&products_id=188  

When on the shopping cart page, please select the Monthly Networking Event, Non-Member option.  On-site registration will also be available, however, we highly encourage you to register in advance to confirm your space.  There will be a special discounted membership rate available at the event, which applies only to the individual basic membership tier ($100.00). For more information on membership, see http://www.ntgts.org/index.php?option=com_facileforms&Itemid=75 or contact membership@ntgts.org

We look forward to seeing you on December 7.

Regards, Programs Task Force programs@ntgts.org