Thursday, October 6, 2005
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@greens.org
Congress Should Reject Attacks on Local Cable
Access TV.
Greens support local cable access providers,
and call S. 1394, S. 1504, and R. 3146 giveaways to corporate
telecommunications lobbyists.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party cable access
producers today criticized three bills in congressional committees
that would cancel local control and funding of public, educational,
and governmental cable television access. If adopted, the bills may
cost local governments billions per year in lost revenue.
"The cable companies and the local political
machine are already restricting access to cable by disallowing public
access," said John Atkeison, producer of the monthly show 'GreenViews'
in Wilmington, Delaware. "We pay dearly for time now, and this
legislation would make our situation even worse."
"Here in West Chester, Pennsylvania, we don't
have free cable access," added Victoria Webb, a producer of 'GreenTV',
launched by the St. Joe Valley Greens chapter in South Bend, Indiana.
"Why? Because Comcast chooses not to offer it in our area.
Remember that we, the public -- not corporate television -- own the
airwaves. This bill would make it that much harder for the public to
have access to yet another service that they already pay for with
their tax dollars. We are not getting reciprocal service."
Greens warn that S. 1394, S. 1504, and R. 3146
will:
-
prevent state and local governments from
negotiating cable franchise agreements
-
eliminate financial and technical support for
local cable access stations
-
give public property and rights-of-way to
telecommunication corporations
-
allow redlining on the basis of race, sex, age
or geographic location
-
remove funding for local services such as
police, fire, emergency alert and street construction
-
prevent local zoning of cellular towers
"Were it not for local community outlets,
regular people would have no voice; no recourse to communication and
information on a local level; no outlet for the creation of programs
that train, educate, and provide health education; and no way of
making themselves heard," said John Rouse, cable access producer
of 'Green Hour' in Arlington, Virginia. "The broadcast airwaves
are among our most precious assets, and citizen access, diversity of
viewpoints and respect for local community interests are best promoted
by local control over these resources."
Greens, noting the broken promise of cable as a
medium for public access and exchange of ideas and information, assert
that the law needs to go in the opposite direction -- towards removing
the power of cable companies to restrict access.
"Our communities rely on us for protection in
what already is a monopoly for cable providers, placing lower income
taxpayers are at a severe disadvantage," said Rebecca Rotzler,
Deputy Mayor of New Paltz, New York and co-chair of the Green Party of
the United States. "These measures threaten access for elderly
and physically impaired residents who participate in community events
via television. It would be a complete shame as well as a sham to deny
them yet another right."
MORE INFORMATION
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
1711 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Greens on the Air: Directory of broadcast and
webcast programs hosted or produced by Greens
http://www.gp.org/onair/
"Bills threaten to cut cable to local access
TV programs"
By Frank Gray, The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana), September
13, 2005
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/12632327.htm