26. a. Any ordinance issuing a municipal consent pursuant to P.L.1972, c.186 (C. 48:5A-1 et seq.) shall designate some officer, office, bureau or other agency of the municipal government as “complaint officer” to receive and act upon complaints by subscribers to cable television reception service of the CATV company to which such consent is issued; and shall provide for the establishment of procedures and methods by which such complaints shall be received, processed and acted upon, for the resolution and settlement of complaints and disputes between such subscribers and the company, and for the enforcement of decisions made by such “complaint officer.” All complaints by such subscribers alleging inadequate, unsafe or improper service or failure by the company to comply with the terms of the municipal consent shall be made in the first instance to such “complaint officer.” The “complaint officer” shall, within 30 days of the receipt of such a complaint, report in writing to the subscriber the disposition or status of the subscriber’s complaint. Any subscriber or CATV company aggrieved by the action of a “complaint officer” in connection with such complaint or dispute, or any subscriber who shall not have received the written report required under this section within 30 days, may petition the office for a hearing upon said complaint, under the rules promulgated by the director for the hearing and disposition of such matters.

b. Any municipality may, in lieu of complying with the terms of subsection a. of this section, provide in the ordinance issuing its municipal consent that complaints by local subscribers to cable television reception service shall be filed directly with the office, which shall thereupon be deemed the “complaint officer” for purposes of this section.

c. Each CATV company receiving a municipal consent or a system-wide franchise issued pursuant to P.L.1972, c.186 (C. 48:5A-1 et seq.), shall provide to each subscriber to its cable television reception service, at the time that person becomes a subscriber and at least once in each calendar year thereafter while that person remains a subscriber, in a form approved by the director, information as to the identity of the “complaint officer,” which for system-wide franchises shall be the Office of Cable Television, the identity and location of the local business office or agent required under subsection d. of this section, and the procedure to be followed in making and pursuing complaints to the “complaint officer” or the office pursuant to this section.

d. A municipal consent or system-wide franchise issued pursuant to P.L.1972, c.186 (C. 48:5A-1 et seq.) shall require that the CATV company to which it is issued shall maintain local business offices or agents, for the purpose of receiving, investigating and resolving all complaints regarding the quality of service, equipment malfunctions, and similar matters.

L.1972,c.186,s.26; amended 2006, c.83, s.21.