from: Capital Times [1]
AT&T Twists the Truth on Video Competition Bill
November 8, 2007
By Mary Cardona
AT&T lobbyists are gifted at twisting the truth. I’ve seen the inspired work of this intense and expensive propaganda campaign; with enough money, you can get people to believe the direct opposite of what is true.
AT&T consultant Joe Mettner says in his column on Nov. 5 that the video competition bill will “provide consumers a choice.”
First, current law allows competition to occur. Second, AT&T only serves about one-third of the state. Third, this law allows AT&T to come in and cherry-pick the “high-value” customers. Fourth, this bill has the potential to leave some areas of our cities completely unserved with land-line cable. After this bill passes, some consumers may not have the choice of any cable service.
Mettner says this bill will not “consolidate control over communications.”
Actually, with this bill, cable and AT&T will have complete control over broadband video roll-out in this state — where it’s offered and when. The public will have no say. Under this bill, large cable and telephone providers are assumed to be qualified to run a system. The application process is less stringent than the one you go through to sign your son up for soccer. If one of these companies decides to sell, the state cannot review the new company’s qualifications.
The bill goes out of its way to make sure that state agencies with “oversight” of video have no funding, no right to assess penalties, and no right to make “rules and procedures” to enforce the law like every other state agency. Will build-out provisions designed to get AT&T video to at least some low-income residents work? Not without any enforcement they won’t.
Mettner characterizes the handful of consumer protections in state law as “tough” and “solid,” but the statute is actually weak and full of holes.
As a former cable television regulator, I am appalled. The Cable Subscribers’ Bill of Rights does not cover standard things like telephone answering times, having a local office, responding to billing disputes, and telling customers how to resolve complaints.
Illinois has a list of 60 consumer protections. In Wisconsin, AT&T will only have to abide by 10. And these are enforced by a toothless agency with no budget. Monopoly cable providers have an additional 10, but these are to be enforced by local governments that have been stripped of all enforcement options.
“Negotiated legislation”? Consumer and PEG advocates had to beg for a few crumbs. Eight amendments restored some consumer protections and saved PEG (public, education or government) channels from complete annihilation. A total of 30 amendments were suggested in the Assembly, but most of them were tabled without any vote or discussion at all.
The bill does not “jeopardize public access channels”? There are no technical standards. AT&T plans to put a region’s PEG channels onto one Web site/channel where subscribers will have to point and click icons to get a small digital stream of their local channel. To add insult to injury, AT&T is making stations pay for the equipment that will degrade our picture and sound. Several access stations will lose their PEG fees immediately and are likely to close.
Those “thorough hearings”? Nearly all PEG supporters were put at the end of the line. Attendees at the single public hearing on March 27 were treated to endless pontification by Rep. Phil Montgomery, and after the first several hours many access advocates had to travel back home without speaking. More than 100 access advocates showed up. The final one spoke nine hours into the hearing.
AT&T wants a license to turn a quick buck and is about to get it.
Cable wants to extract greater profits from Wisconsin by getting rid of community investment and is about to get it.
Residents should be hopping mad.
Mary Cardona is the executive director of the Wisconsin Association of PEG Channels.