Save Access

FROM: Hilltop Press, June 20, 2007

A right cross to Waycross Bill would cut franchise revenues
By Heidi Fallon
hfallon@communitypress.com

Legislation working its way to the governor's desk will have dire consequences for Waycross Community Television.

Senate Bill 117, which passed in the House of Representatives June 14 with a 92-2 vote, is "very unfortunate for Ohio consumers," according to Chip Bergquist, Waycross executive director.

from: Tampa Bay.com

June 28, 2007
Losing the 'Public' in Public Access TV Sooner Than Expected

Granted, it may be tough to feel connected to a TV platform with show titles such as "Smokey da Bear" and "Religion Stinks."

But producers at Pinellas County's cable access TV system are hoping to enlist the public's aid in preserving at least some of the dozens of programs now slated to disappear following officials' decision to shut down the "public" part of Access Pinellas.

from: The Morning journal

06/26/2007
Gov. Strickland signs lower cost cable bill
MEGAN KING , Morning Journal Writer

LORAIN -- The cable bill that local officials fear will jeopardize their cable franchise fees was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Ted Strickland.

from: Times Free Press

AT&T gearing up for video service in Georgia
Thursday, June 21, 2007, at 3:36 p.m.
By Matt Wilson
Staff Writer

An AT&T spokesman said his company is developing plans to offer video service that competes with cable in Georgia.

A new state law that will allow providers to negotiate state-issued franchises is about to go into effect.

from: Thurston Community TV

What the FCC?
Saturday, June 23, 2007

Local Governments Ask Court to Stay FCC Ruling on Video Franchising

Washington, DC – June 20, 2007 –
Local government and nonprofit organizations from around the country today asked a federal appeals court to block, pending judicial review, implementation of the recent franchising order adopted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which may otherwise go fully into effect in the next several weeks. The organizations assert that the FCC Order will severely restrict the ability of local governments to protect their citizens, rights-of-way, community channels and public safety networks. The organizations assert that the request for Stay is in the public interest since, among other things, under the FCC Order, "local franchising authorities will be forced to rush franchising decisions without being given an opportunity to ensure the interests of the public, including safety concerns, are met."

from: PennLive.com

Verizon Can Limit Access to Services, Pennsylvania PUC Says

From Patriot-News, June 22, 2007
By David DeKok

The state Public Utility Commission voted 3-1 yesterday not to stop Verizon Communications from blocking access by low-income people on the Lifeline program to bundled telephone service packages, even if it could save customers money.

from: AP News

Verizon Paid Lobbyist $80K

Thursday June 21, 6:33 pm ET
Verizon Paid the Udwin Group $80,000 in Second Half of 2006 for Cable TV Franchise Reform

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Verizon Communications Inc. paid the Udwin Group $80,000 in the second half of 2006 to lobby the federal government on cable television franchise reform, according to a disclosure form.

from: Mark Sardella

A BAD START FOR VERIZON

22Jun07
A major corporation comes to town and says whatever it needs to say so that local officials will let them do business here, and then waits for the town to threaten legal action before living up to its agreement.

I know–it’s shocking. But that’s exactly what communications mega-giant Verizon did to the town of Wakefield, Massachusetts in the last year.

from: Black Agenda Report

Which Way On Low-Power Urban FM Radio - The Next Test for the Congressional Black Caucus
by BAR Managing Editor Bruce Dixon

Any day now, the U.S. Congress will decide if the corporate media stranglehold on radio will be loosened by allowing community groups to operate low-power FM (LP-FM) radio stations at hundreds of locations. Black grassroots politics has been crippled over the last several decades by the near-extinction of local news, but many African American lawmakers appear to have adjusted nicely to corporate dominion over the airwaves. Huge blocks of the Black Caucus vote in synch with Big Media’s demands, in return for campaign contributions. Corporate media is out to scuttle low-power FM. Will the Black Caucus capitulate, again?

from: CNET

IPTV chugs along

By Marguerite Reardon
Story last modified Wed Jun 20 09:06:05 PDT 2007

The promise behind Internet Protocol television, or IPTV, is enormous, but fulfillment of that promise sometimes seems a long way off.
A year into major IPTV deployments around the world, progress on new features is slow, although a new version of Microsoft's IPTV software takes at least a small step toward tapping the technology's considerable potential.