Save Access

from: Free Expression Policy Project

A Federal Court Stops Comcast's Plan to Exile Public
Access Channels to Cable Siberia - At Least for Now

(January 16, 2008) - The large cable companies that sell the public its
"basic tier" and premium TV services have never liked "PEG"
(public, educational, and governmental) channels. But this week in Michigan,
a federal judge stopped the biggest of the cable giants, Comcast, from
reassigning PEG channels from the basic tier to high-numbered, difficult-to-find
spaces in the digital spectrum, and requiring customers to buy new digital
converters in order to view them.

Ex-officials take sides in cable fight
from: Knox News

Roles of former Bredesen adviser, deputy gov. questioned

By Tom Humphrey
Thursday, January 24, 2008

NASHVILLE - Former top-level officials of Gov. Phil Bredesen's administration are working for opposing sides in the legislative war between AT&T and the cable television industry, both men declaring that they are not lobbyists.

from: Milan News

Comcast making changes to local cable channel

By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008

Residents tuning in to Channel 18 on their television to watch the latest city council meeting, public forum or local commission meeting will soon find the cable access channel has moved to 902 on the digital TV dial.

from: Broadband Reports

Wasn't Competition Supposed To Bring Lower TV Prices?
Everybody raising prices in Northeast...
09:56AM Tuesday Jan 22 2008 by Karl

Remember all of the talk about how when the phone company got into the TV business, you'd see lower prices? Apparently they were just kidding. The Boston Globe notes that RCN, Comcast and Verizon are all raising prices in the region. Comcast will raise rates by an average of four percent next month. RCN is raising their standard TV rates by five percent. Verizon will be raising rates for FiOS TV customers by as much as twelve percent. Comcast explains the rate hikes to the paper:

from: Light Reading

Exclusive Photos: Fire to the Node, Part II
JANUARY 22, 2008

Last week, Light Reading broke the news that AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T - message board) has set out to replace the 17,000 Avestor batteries providing backup power to its U-verse network equipment cabinets in neighborhoods all over America. (See AT&T Begins Massive Battery Replacement.)

Note: Attorney General Richard Blumenthal took AT&T to court when they refused to seek franchising in the state. He's likely to ride the company hard until they replace every battery in Connecticut.

from: WFSB News 3

Exploded AT&T Batteries Raise Concerns
Company Says It's Removing Batteries From Streets

from: Good Morning Flint

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
GMF 1/16/08

GOOD MORNING FLINT! 01/16/08

BY Terry Bankert http://attorneybankert.com/
posted first at http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=22988#22988

Public access!...A REPRIEVE!!! Paul Herring of Flint is leading a revolt. He wants Comcast cable customers to boycott the company. [FJ011508 ] Thousands of Genesee County residents enjoy the Public Access programing on channel 17 Comcast. Comcast a monolply is obligated to public acess ,hoodwinked the stae legislature and has almost taken it away from us.[trb] The cable company planned to move PEG channels in Michigan into the 900 range, which would require subscribers to buy digital, cable-ready TVs or rent or buy a digital converter box for each analog set they own.[Cen01/15/08] Comcast Cable is a regulated monopoly essentially because at its inception they needed public property to string their cable, in exchange we got public access programing. By a state law slight of hands or campaign contributions the state legislature let them run away with our access to television. Ask a State Rep How did you let this happen?[ trb]

Note: Well this won't be the first time. AT&T once bought up several of the largest cable companies becoming the largest cable provider in the process - only to change course and sell at a 50 billion dollar loss. Instead they bet on their newly designed U-verse system, complete with exploding street-side telco boxes, buggy microsoft software and day-long national outages. But it's a company with deep pockets and stock analysts that look the other way, they can always buy the cable companies back again. Tennessee legislators should take note!

from: The Tennessean

Aide's new job raises no flags for Bredesen

By BONNA JOHNSON • Staff Writer • January 18, 2008

Gov. Phil Bredesen said he sees no ethical conflict with his communications director leaving his staff to work for a public affairs firm that represents AT&T, which is engaged in a fierce legislative battle with cable companies.

from: KnoxNews

Bredesen may weigh in on cable-permitting fight
Governor says broadband coverage isn't adequate
ERIK SCHELZIG
Associated Press
Friday, January 18, 2008

NASHVILLE - Gov. Phil Bredesen said Thursday that he may get involved in a contentious proposal to change cable-permitting rules in Tennessee to encourage broadband access around the state.