Many N.J. residents want all pay-TV firms to fully build out thei...

introduced franchise legislation Thurs. Telcos including Verizon, which is targeting N.J. for TV service, have said full buildouts aren’t necessary. Asked whether companies selling cable should be required to serve an entire territory or “only serve residents in higher income areas,” 89% picked the first option. Asked about the importance of local “control over companies that provide TV service,” 73% responded that was either “very important” or “somewhat important.” Two-thirds of respondents said they wouldn’t support legislation that “imposed a higher cable TV franchise fee” and removed local control. Asked about the wording of the questions, an NJCTA spokesman said Verizon is targeting higher income communities. In the approximately 100 municipalities where the firm wants to offer service, the median household income is about 40% higher than the statewide average, he said, citing Census figures. Verizon won’t engage in income discrimination, said a spokesman. He said NJCTA’s poll had low credibility and was “difficult to believe.” Penn Schoen & Berland conducted 463 interviews of N.J. residents for the poll. It cited a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.