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from:Broadcasting and Cable

AT&T/BellSouth Opponent Weigh In

From: Digital Destiny

Hey! Guess Who Helps Fund the Heritage Foundation? AT&T and Verizon

Ready as always to weaken the public interest potential of U.S. communications, James L. Gattuso wrote a anti-network neutrality “Backgrounder” for the Heritage Foundation (released June 2, 2006). Subtitled “Will Congress Neuter the Net?”, the piece is a politically timed missive designed to undermine the growing pressure on Congress to enact network neutrality safeguards. It contains the usual litany of rationalizations and under-developed analysis used by big cable and phone advocates to criticize network neutrality.

from:Matt Stoller

Squishy House Dems to Sell Us Out on Internet Freedom?

by Matt Stoller, Wed May 31, 2006 at 12:44:43 PM EST

Last week was a big week for the internet freedom folks. We won a vote in the Judiciary Committee for the Sensenbrenner-Conyers Bill (HR5417) to preserve internet freedom. For those who haven't been following, the basic gist of the issue is that the government has always set basic rules for the wires that carry internet traffic. These rules don't let the telcos that manage those wires block anyone's traffic, and we want to keep it that way. The telcos want to be able to block traffic and web sites so they can favor some services over others, so they want to strip the FCC of the authority they have to enforce these rules. The business and political case is clear. Senior telco execs have publicly discussed slowing down Google's web site if Yahoo pays them, for instance. There are political implications as well; a Canadian ISP have blocked the web site of a union striking against them. Telcos have always hated the internet, and now that they see the opportunity to put up tollbooths everywhere and make the internet work as clunkily as cell phone service, they are trying to seize it through their massive political leverage.

from: Technology Daily

Firms Fork Over Funds For Cable Rate Campaign

By Heather Greenfield
(Friday, May 26)

Telecom companies are spending serious green on advertising in recent weeks alerting Congress and their staffers to what they call a serious cause -- a grassroots campaign for lower cable and broadband rates.

from: Star Tribune

Our View: Local cable and all its services are threatened

Rick Talbot And Steve Larson

CTV-15 celebrates its 15th anniversary this month but may have to close its door soon after that if proposed federal legislation becomes law.

For 15 years, CTV has provided equipment and training for more than 3,000 residents of the cities of Arden Hills, Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Little Canada, Mounds View, New Brighton, North Oaks, Roseville, St. Anthony and Shoreview to produce their own video programs. Cable subscribers in these 10 cities have had an opportunity to watch high school football and city parades, local hockey games and public hearings on the disposition of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) property, as well as concerts of the St. Anthony Civic Orchestra, the Roseville Community Band and the Northern Lights Variety Band. From "Disability Viewpoints" to "Trek Talk," local community producers have had an opportunity to share their interests and their passions with their neighbors.

We have some report-backs with media and articles from the May 24th actions. Check it out!

from: CNET - go to the link to see photos

Protesters face off with Verizon, AT&T
By Declan McCullagh
Story last modified Wed May 24 17:51:02 PDT 2006

Protesters lined streets on both coasts Wednesday to bring public awareness to the telecommunications policy debates currently going on in Washington, D.C., and to show opposition to the phone companies reportedly providing customer records without a court order to the National Security Agency.

Verizon Can Hear Protesters Now
from: MultiChannel News

By Steve Donohue 5/24/2006 5:22:00 PM

New York -- Chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, greedy telcos have to go,” about 75 public-access-programming advocates rallied in a protest outside Verizon Communications Inc. headquarters here Wednesday.

from: Seattle Times

Ill effects of a gated cyber world

If computer-network providers are allowed to hijack the Internet, the damage will go much deeper than the consumers' wallets. Democracy will be at risk with the inevitable limiting of voices if Internet neutrality is not ensured.

from: CNET

Hanging up on the competition

By Martin Chavez

Like many elected officials, the nation's mayors have taken a renewed interest in telecommunications as the so-called video reform legislation, sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, and urged by the nation's telephone companies, is considered in the U.S. Congress. And no wonder. The legislation will likely determine the extent to which our constituents will ever benefit from broadband competition.