MA: Communities must retain local cable control

from: Patriot Ledger [1]

SPEAK OUT: Communities must retain local cable control

By FRANK LYNAM

Consumers in Massachusetts have a great deal at stake if the Legislature approves special-interest legislation to eliminate municipalities from the cable licensing and renewal process.

The proposed legislation would preempt local franchising authority and force state officials to rubber stamp Verizon’s efforts to offer cable service to only a limited number of customers.

Local government officials have a duty to represent the public interest of their communities and their residents, and they exercised this authority to protect consumer rights, which is why Verizon and its fellow telephone companies are trying to wipe out local powers.

Massachusetts cities and towns are able to negotiate with their local cable providers on issues relating to the particular needs of the community, including whether the community will have a cable TV studio for local access programming, whether the schools will be wired or whether municipal buildings will be networked. These are all issues that can be addressed only by local communities and will be seriously impacted if these rules are approved.

In the case of Whitman, our ability to negotiate with the cable franchisee resulted in the town receiving the cable studio for $1, capital/start-up funds of $250,000 and a revenue stream to fund ongoing operations of Whitman-Hanson Cable Access, bringing residents local government meetings, information and public access television.

Local officials also want to ensure that there is no discrimination locally and all their residents benefit from competition. It’s better for quality and cost. Under the Verizon bill, cities and towns would be frozen out of the process. This practice is the opposite of what needs to be done to ensure accountability by cable providers to communities and citizens.

Local government officials support open competition because it produces more affordable services and improves the quality of the services for all community residents.

For these reasons, the members of the Whitman Board of Selectmen strongly oppose Verizon’s legislation.

Frank Lynam is town administrator in Whitman.