Ill.-Ind. Cable T.v. Ass'n v. Comm. Com‪.‬

The Illinois Commerce Commission initiated proceedings to determine if it should exercise regulatory jurisdiction under authority granted by An Act concerning public utilities (hereinafter referred to as the Public Utilities Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1971, ch. 111 2/3, par. 1 et seq.) over community antenna television systems, commonly called CATV or cable television. After extensive hearings, the Commission concluded that cable television was a public utility within the definition of section 10.3(b) of the Act and by its interim opinion and order asserted jurisdiction to regulate the industry. The Illinois-Indiana Cable Television Association (hereinafter referred to as the Association) appealed from this order to the circuit court of McHenry County. At the same time a number of cable television companies petitioned the same court for a declaratory judgment that the Commission had no authority to regulate cable television systems.