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from: Romeo Observer

Uniform cable agreement
changes channel on WBRW

by CHRIS GRAY
Observer Staff Writer

You'll have to exercise your thumb a bit more to get your local public access news coverage.

Letters were recently sent to residents in Bruce and Washington townships and the Village of Romeo, stating that Channel 6 will be known as Channel 902 as of Jan. 15. This is caused by the Michigan Uniform Video Service Local Franchise Agreement. Under the agreement, providers must re-submit up to 2-percent of their gross revenues to fund public access programming.

The legislation was first signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Dec. 21, 2006, that would promote competition for providing video services in Michigan. The legislation

As Village Attorney Mark Clark explained to the Board of Trustees on Nov. 19, the act will become effective no later than 30 days from the effective date.

The act was pushed by AT&T to provide competition, as the Federal Communications Commission's found that local franchising impedes competition and broadband development.
"There is very little that can be changed, in fact, given the state of the law, if you don't adopt this, it will be adopted without your consent," he said.

At the meeting, Clark suggested the board take a look at two sections of the agreement. The first was inserting 5-percent into the amount the video provider will pay to the franchising entity, while the second was inserting the 2-percent amount mentioned earlier, which goes to public, education and government (PEG) channels.

"My recommendation is that you approve this with those changes, and I would urge you to do this now because if not it's going to become an effective agreement without your consent and without those percentages," he said.

Before voting to approve of the agreement, the board asked what Richard Cory, studio manager of WBRW, had to say about the agreement. He said it was a "terrible law," but it went through because AT&T pushed so hard.

"People that can only get basic (cable) will have to buy a box in order to get 902," he said.

He added AT&T already came into Washington Township, so WBRW will be channel 99 for Washington residents. The township also approved of the agreement on Nov. 7 at its Board of Trustees meeting.

Incumbent video providers can continue to provide services by either terminating existing franchise agreements before the expiration date of the agreement, continue under their existing franchise agreement amended with the Act, or operate under the terms of an expired agreement until the Act takes effect.