save public access

On December 20, the FCC passed an order that threatens the future of community television in the U.S. For more information, visit the website of the Alliance for Community Media.

From Tony Riddle- Executive Director of the Alliance for Community Media
Subject: [ANNOUNCE] Eye on the FCC Ruling

Here is what the FCC order does for the telephone companies:

Eliminates PEG funding.
Eliminates support for I-Net's.
Allows the video provider to charge any services such as cable drops, production facilities, program transmission lines-- any in-kind services-- all are charged back against the 5% maximum franchise fees at the rate determined by the video provider.
Eliminates any protection against discrimination.

The FCC is holding the cable industry in relative silence by offering them a "Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" which would allow them to adopt the same rules. That way they don't have to sue to get in on the feast.

What we do know is that there will be lawsuits on our side. They are being prepared now. There will be an attempt to get a stay while the order is appealed. This will be costly to our coalitions. It will also be a waste of taxpayer money by the FCC which has chosen to act illegally.

These court cases may take a year or more.

In the meantime, the phone companies will try to use this ruling to change the situation on the ground. They will try to move forward and establish business basedon the rule so they can claim damage if the rule is reversed. Telephone and cable companies may be willing to pay back fees for that interim court period if they are able to avoid or abrogate cable franchises going forward from there. We don' know how they will measure their interests.

It was stated multiple times that the ruling would not undercut state laws existing or coming that aim at speeding competitive entry. Who knows what this means? The Texas law was aimed at this, supposedly, but includes 1% for PEG-I support. What happens to this?

We must understand how this will affext the on-going state legislative battles. Remember, too, that what you percieve as a loss or a temporary set-back, these greedy money making machines view as a step toward the next consolidation of profit and power. They are not done, ever.

It is not clear to me the options other than the litigation route. I know that we must pursue multiple tracks. We need to examine what role Congress can play or is willing to play. We must remember that for us, the ultimate power is the power of the people. We have to maintain a commitment to both inside and outside strategy. We cannot sit quietly, hands in lap, listening to the reading of a death sentence for a crime we did not commit, one written by hypocritical financial interests who are disaffected by the needs of community and who lack fundamental commitment to freedom, justice or equality. It is not their interest.

It is not supposed to be their interest. They are supposed to make money. It is up to us to support the forms of governance that the people have direct control over. We have to demand that they are responsive to our needs. Then they have to make sure that these money-making machines are responsive to our needs. The government, the economy, the businesses are all to be here for our benefit, not the other way around.

We cannot to allow the right to be a functioning community to be sold for the false hope of saving 50 cents or a dollar a month on a TV line-up which is neutered of any community participation.

We will beat them at their game, but it should not prevent us from making them play ours.

Visit these links to find out more:

Alliance for Community Media

Save Public Access

Center for Digital Democracy

Write to your Senators and Representative:

ACM Form Letter

Save Access letter

Senator Amy Klobuchar

Senator Norm Coleman

Representative Keith Ellision