§ 34–1255.03. Mandatory transfer of franchise to the District; general requirement.

(a) Upon payment of the purchase price by the District, the cable operator shall immediately transfer to the District possession and title to all facilities and property, real and personal, related to its cable system, free from any and all liens and encumbrances that the District has not agreed to assume in lieu of some portion of the purchase price.

(b) The District may assign its right and power under subsection (a) of this section to a person who shall assume the rights and obligations of the franchise and franchise agreement.

(Aug. 21, 1982, D.C. Law 4-142, § 503; as added Oct. 9, 2002, D.C. Law 14-193, § 2(b), 49 DCR 7334.)

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 2 of Washington Nationals on T.V. Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-388, May 23, 2006, 53 DCR 4426).

Temporary Legislation

Section 2 of D.C. Law 16-158 provided as follows: “Sec. 503a. Baseball programming.

“(a) The Council finds that it is in the public interest that all of the baseball games of Baseball Expos, LP, trading as the Washington Nationals, be broadcast.

“(b) The Council directs that each cable operator broadcast all of the baseball games of Baseball Expos, LP, trading as the Washington Nationals, or any assignee or successor (‘Washington Nationals’).

“(c) If a cable operator is not broadcasting all of the baseball games of the Washington Nationals as of the effective date of this section, the cable operator shall enter into good faith negotiations with the District within 5 days to modify its franchise agreement to comply with subsection (b) of this section.”

Section 4(b) of D.C. Law 16-158 provided that the act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.