Modifying, clarifying and recodifying cable and modem communications provisions; defining certain terms and stating a purpose; granting cities, towns or counties or joint powers cable communications commissions the exclusive authority to grant nonexclusive franchises to cable service providers to provide cable service within franchise areas in the state, requiring a franchise to provide cable service, specifying certain granting restrictions; providing for local franchising authority enforcement of certain customer service obligations; requiring local authorities to regulate rates, requiring a list of current subscriber rates and charges to be on file with the authority; requiring cable service providers to provide emergency alert override capabilities for use in emergencies; facilitating the activation of a metropolitan area interconnected regional channel to be uniformly carried on VHF channel 6 to provide a broad range of informational, educational and public service programs and materials to metropolitan area cable subscribers, requiring the metropolitan council to appoint the governing body of the regional channel entity; providing for public, educational or governmental access channels; regulating franchise fees; specifying certain cable service provider reporting requirements; authorizing local franchising authority revocation of franchises for certain franchise or statutory violations; requiring local authority review of franchise transfers; requiring franchise renewal proceedings to be conducted according to federal and local laws and procedures; providing for franchise amendments; specifying certain general and specific franchise content requirements, requiring certain indemnity, liability, insurance, bond. complaint and franchise termination provisions and the inclusion of certain technical standards, authorizing certain additional terms and conditions consistent with federal and state laws; authorizing and restricting the use of existing utility easements to install, maintain and remove equipment and facilities; requiring pole, duct and conduit agreements to require cable service providers to apply for and receive permits from public utility companies before attaching to pole or conduit systems and requiring a related public utility liability immunity provision, insurance requirement; providing for municipal cable service providers and authorizing the creation of joint cable communications commissions; specifying certain conduit and interconnection requirements; providing for service to public institutions at no charge; exempting modem service from regulation, authorizing local government units to charge franchise fees; making conforming amendments to certain statutory provisions relating to property exempt from ad valorem taxes and the power of the metropolitan council to appoint individuals to the governing body of the cable communications metropolitan interconnected regional channel entity; exempting sales of cable communications related machinery, equipment and supplies to local government units acting as local franchising authorities from the sales tax; repealing certain existing provisions regulating cable communications companies (mk)