Public Access

TAKE ACTION!
Protect local cable access from corporate control

Questions or comments? E-mail: clevdemocracy@aol.com

Breaking News!

TESTIMONY OF GREG COLERIDGE ON SENATE BILL 117 to the Ohio Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee - Tuesday, April 24, 2007 (Download a copy here (pdf))

Corporatization of Everything Local - By Greg Coleridge (re: Ohio Senate Bill 117) Download a PDF version of this article.

SB 117 Opposition Testimony presented on behalf of the City of Cleveland by Valarie J. McCall, Chief of Government Affairs - This statement contains several excellent references to the issue of municipal home rule. (Download a copy here (pdf))

Website Links

Alliance for Community Media
*Their position on federal bills

Free Press / defend local access

Manhattan Neighborhood Network
Help Save Public Access TV

People s Guide to The Telecom Act
of 2006: Activists Handbook

Save Public Access!

USTV Media

To find contact information for your Senator, click here:
http://senate.gov/general/
contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
To email Senators, click here:
http://tinyurl.com/k5b58
Here are several sites to refer to for more information:
http://saveaccess.org/
http://www.savetheinternet.com/
http://www.commoncause.org/telecom
http://www.democraticmedia.org/issues/
netneutrality.html
http://prometheusradio.org/

Selected Articles

Click HERE to read a letter published in the Cleveland Free Times on the COPE bill.

December 29, 2005 The NewStandard article by Tara Tidwell Cullen - Telecom Laws Overhaul Threatens Public-Access TV, Services
Download this article in PDF format

January/February 2006 Washington Monthly - Let There Be WiFi - Broadband is the electricity of the 21st century—and much of America is being left in the dark.
By Robert McChesney and John Podesta
Download this article in PDF format

Protecting Cable Access TV, article by Lois Romanoff
http://ohiodemocracy.org/?q=node/88

Corporate and City Threats to Public Access in Akron by Rose Wilcher
http://ohiodemocracy.org/?q=node/88

Take Action!

Our next meeting is March 15, 2007 at 7 pm at Peace House, 10916 Magnolia Ave., University Circle, Cleveland

Documents

January 17, 2007 - Talk with John Gibbons about public access. Interviewed by Lois Romanoff (pdf)

Januray 24, 2007 - Notes taken from Technology Daily, David Hatch, edited by Lois Romanoff (pdf)

January 25, 2007 - Alliance for Community Media and Local Governments Retain Counsel to Challenge FCC Rulings - The Alliance for Community Media Strongly Questions the Legality of FCC Actions (pdf)

Notice Sent on January 28, 2007 8:02 PM
Send a Message to Congress Today:
STOP THE FCC!
Take Action Today at: http://saveaccess.org/node/688

Dear saveaccess supporter,

We need you to send a letter today! The new Senate Commerce Committee meets on Thursday this week in a Hearing entitled: "Assessing the Communications Marketplace: A View from the FCC".

This annual Q/A of the FCC by the Senate Committee is an important moment for us to respond to the December 20th FCC Ruling on Video Franchising. That FCC ruling went far deeper than the failed Congressional legislation of last year in attacking Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access channels and facilities. It also threatens local municipalities ability to exercise control over their 'rights of way" and provides little protection against the red-lining of entire communities. Worse of all, the FCC hearing on the matter was rife with inaccuracies and half-truths that even the phone companies backed away from. Such behavior by a Federal agency is reprehensible and we demand full accountability now!

The many organizations representing cities, along with the Alliance for Community Media, have promised a lawsuit - but we need for the Senate to hear from the people and for them to respond accordingly. Congressional intervention can stop this mess now!

Please take a moment today to send our letter to the Senate committee! We have to ensure that 'local video franchising' is on the Senate's list of problematic issues with the FCC (because it's a long list!). And though we are seriously miffed about this mess, we have a proper and polite letter you can send to all the members of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Thank you!
saveaccess.org

______________________________

Resolutions

Passed Cleveland Heights resolution supporting local cable franchising.

(February 2, 2006 - URGENT: Print out. give it to one or more of your city council members and/or your Mayor urging them to take similar action within the next couple of weeks.)

Download (pdf)

-----------------------

February 13, 2006 - South Euclid passed its own Resolution

Download (pdf)

Resources:

(SEVEN POINTS) - The Communications, Consumers' Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 should

guarantee the protection of local 'rights of way' and municipal control of these public spaces.

ensure strong net neutrality provisions to protect the internet.

protect the right of municipalities to provide broadband and video services.

protect Public, Educational and Governmental channels (public access TV) and facilities and their current funding levels.

promote wider public use of unlicensed spectrum.

expand Low Power FM radio licensing.

D R A F T L E T T E R (For you to copy and paste into your own document)

Dear Senator,
As an advocate for free speech, local control and public access to communications networks I am concerned about the content and progress of the Communications, Consumers Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act (S. 2686) introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and slated for mark-up on June 22nd.

As currently drafted, I stand in opposition to the bill.

S. 2686 is largely the work of Verizon, AT&T, Bell South and Qwest (the remaining national phone companies) who want to quickly expand and enter the video services market (also known as cable TV) by bypassing key open access and public interest provisions of the 1934 Communications Act (Title II and Title VI). As currently written, S.2686 will NOT make good on the promises of increased competition, lower rates, better service, more choices or expanded high speed internet access for rural consumers.

I urge you to amend S.2686 to:

1) Establish enforceable protections for network neutrality - i.e. require video service providers to allow competitors to use their networks. Without these protections, meaningful competition will not occur.
2) Explicitly outlaw redlining of franchise service areas on the basis of income or geographic location (Section 642).
3) Maintain local government control over the public rights of way so that they can continue to set the terms and conditions for consumer protections and existing levels of PEG access support (Section 331).
4) Allow municipalities to enter directly into the broadband and video services business -- without waiting for approval from the private sector. (Sections 501 & 502)
5) Protect public speech on video networks through the preservation of public, educational and government (PEG) access bandwidth and funding.

- Maintain local authority over PEG requirements and guarantee that PEG uses will be defined by local community needs and interests.
- Remove proposed limits on the addition of PEG channels, grandfather existing agreements and allow communities to gain access to commercial features of the network (such as audio channels, interactive programming guides or HDTV) (Section 331).
- Remove proposed limits (1%) on PEG funding (Section 331)
- Adopt the detailed changes advocated by the Alliance for Community Media

Without these amendments, I urge you to vote NO on S.2686.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Other News...

June 21, 2006 - Cleveland Free Times Article focusing on Rose Wilcher...

April 2006 - The African American United Front is joining the campaign to restore cable access to the Akron community. Download their proposal. (pdf)

Cable Access in Akron
April 2004 - For more than 20 years, Akron residents have had free access to produce and play local programming on Time Warner Cable's Channel 15. Akron's Mayor and Time Warner, without any citizen input, decided to implement a $25 per program fee. Local programmer, Rose Wilcher filed a suit against the city and cable provider arguing that the fee violates her First Amendment right to free speech. The city and Time Warner argue that "free speech is not always free and the $25 fee is legal. The case ruling is pending. Read More...

April 12, 2005 - Akron Beacon Journal Article (pdf)

July 5, 2005 - Statement from AFSC concerning Cable Access Issue (pdf)

July 28, 2005 Cleveland Peace House Summer Supper Series - Rose Wilcher speaks about the media and her public cable access tv programming, "FreedomJournalTV". She filed a lawsuit against Akron's cable tv station and the city of Akron. Watch and listen to Who Owns the Airwaves Part 1

Documents: Democracy Discussion (pdf) / Cable Access Proposal (pdf)

See the EVENTS page for future actions on this issue.