Part 15. Subscription Television of California Revenue And Taxation Code >> Division 2. >> Part 15.

For the purposes of this part, the following terms, phrases, words, and their derivations shall have the following meanings unless otherwise indicated by the context:
  (a) "Local agency" shall mean a county, a city (whether general law or chartered city) and a city and county. For the purpose of applying Section 35003, the term "local agency" when used in reference to a county includes only unincorporated areas of such county.
  (b) "Subscription televison" shall mean closed circuit television which is provided to and can be received only by subscribers. The provisions of this part shall not apply to community antenna television systems, hotel or apartment antenna systems, or educational television systems, whether closed or open circuit.
  (c) "Subscription television business" shall mean the business of operating and providing subscription television to subscribers by the use of wires, lines, coaxial cables, wave guides or other tangible conduits of communication for the transmission to subscribers of television and music, including connecting the establishments of subscribers, or causing such establishments to be connected, with such communication conduits; provided, however, that this part shall not apply to a telephone or telegraph corporation subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission of the State of California when such telephone or telegraph corporation furnishes channels for the transmission of subscription television programs by a subscription television corporation.
  (d) "Subscription television corporation" shall mean a person, firm, partnership or corporation owning, controlling, operating or managing a subscription television business.
  (e) "Subscriber" shall mean any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other public or private entity agreeing to receive subscription television.
  (f) "Total gross receipts" shall mean any and all compensation and other consideration in any form whatever received directly or indirectly by a subscription television corporation or sponsors. Total gross receipts shall not include any taxes on the services furnished by a subscription television corporation imposed directly on subscribers, or any fees payable pursuant to Section 35003 to the State or any local agency, and collected from subscribers by such subscription television corporation.

A subscription television corporation shall have authority to engage in the subscription television business in this State and within all or part of any local agency, local agencies, or combinations thereof, and in connection therewith to connect the establishments of subscribers, or to cause such establishments to be connected, with communication conduits by erecting, installing, constructing, repairing, replacing, reconstructing, maintaining and retaining such poles, wires, cables, conductors, ducts, conduits, vaults, manholes, amplifiers, appliances, attachments and other property as may be necessary for such purpose, in, on, over, along and across any public street, road, highway or freeway or in, on, over, along and across any of the waters within this State in such manner and at such points as not to incommode the public use of the street, road, highway or freeway or to interrupt the navigation of the waters.

(a) Each subscription television corporation shall pay quarterly to the State one percent (1%) of the total gross receipts received in such quarter by such subscription television corporation. All amounts required to be paid to the State under this subdivision shall be paid to the State Board of Equalization.
  (b) In addition thereto such subscription television corporation shall pay to each local agency within which it is conducting operations one percent (1%) of the total gross receipts received in such quarter by such subscription television corporation from subscribers or sponsors whose establishments at which subscription television was provided were within such local agency at the time such revenues were received. The quarterly payments to a local agency required by this subdivision are in lieu of all other taxes or fees imposed by the local agency receiving the payments upon the subscription television corporation for the privilege of exercising any franchise or engaging in business. The State Board of Equalization shall collect any amount required to be paid to a local agency under this subdivision, and shall transmit to the local agency involved the amount so collected as promptly as feasible.
  (c) The State Board of Equalization shall enforce the provisions of this part and shall adopt such reasonable rules and regulations as they may deem necessary or proper to provide for and facilitate the making and reporting of payments provided for in this section. At all reasonable times the State Board of Equalization may examine all records kept or maintained by such subscription television corporation or under its control which treat of the operations, affairs, property or transactions of the corporation with respect thereto.