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from: Nashville Public Radio

WPLN News Transcripts
Produced daily by your WPLN News Staff

Governor Says He’ll Push For Broadband Expansion

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

Governor Phil Bredesen says he’s not on the side of either AT&T or Comcast in their fight over a state franchising bill. The governor says instead, he’s focused on the availability of broadband computer coverage in Tennessee. He says the concurrent coverage isn’t adequate.

from: Jackson Sun

Bredesen may weigh in on fight over cable
The Associated Press

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

Bredesen, a Democrat, stayed out of last year’s legislative fight over the measure that would create statewide franchising rules that would allow companies like AT&T Inc. to avoid having to seek hundreds of municipal permits as it enters the cable TV business.

from: WAPC

January 17, 2008

Dear PEG Access Television Supporters:

The video competition bill is now law.

You and WAPC have spent the last year working hard to ensure AB207 would not spell the end to PEG access television in Wisconsin. I can report that we have succeeded, yet even the Governor, who signed the bill on December 21, admitted concerns about PEG's future under this law -- Act 42 -- and urged lawmakers to consider remedial legislation.

from: Wet Machine

Follow Up On MI PEG Lawsuit
by Harold Feld

So the judge heard the motion for a restraining order by Dearborn and Meridian to keep Comcast from migrating PEG channels to digital. The court issued the restraining order, finding that the towns were more likely than not to prevail on several of their issues, that Comcast would suffer no harm from the delay, but that the cities would potentially suffer irreparable harm if Comcast migrated the PEG channels to where most citizens couldn't see them. (You can find the opinion, the pleadings, and other useful information here.)

from: Nashville Scene

Marital Bliss
Are the House speaker and his lobbyist wife teaming up for AT&T?

by Jeff Woods

Even the jaded denizens of the state Capitol are wrinkling their noses at House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh’s intervention in one of the legislature’s costliest business battles ever.

from: App Rising

January 16, 2008 8:37 AM
Reporting From the Trenches in the Battle Over the Future of PEG

I had the great fortune to chat with Lynn Meikle of Meridian Township, Michigan on Monday.

You may have heard of Meridian recently as last Friday they made news by filing suit against Comcast to stop plans to move PEG channels from the analog tier to the digital one, which would then force analog subscribers to pay for a digital converter box to access them.

from: Committee on Energy and Commerce

NEWS RELEASE
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman
For Immediate Release: January 15, 2007
Contact: Jodi Seth, 202-225-2927

Committee Leaders Applaud Michigan Court Decision to Block Comcast Public Programming Proposal

from: BitchSlappin

The Telecomms, Lobbyists, State Government and Big Media
1/14/08

The small local independent papers are full of news that is NOT being picked up by Big Media, and when you put these pieces together it shows how broken things are. First are the stories about the big telecomms steamrolling into statehouses and buying state congressmen right and left, not to mention Governors, to get their state franchise legislation and deregulation pushed through, bad state legislation that trashes Public Access TV, lessens or trashes completely the ability for municipalities to control their own right of ways, allows the franchisees to cherry pick the areas they wish to serve, negates any oversight on the consumer complaint process, overrides current franchise agreements in place that provide access to libraries, schools and municipal government as part of the agreement, and all kinds of other giveaways. Then there are the stories of what has gone wrong in the states where state franchising exists.

from: Flint Talk

Area Producers Call for Action Against Comcast in Flint, Michigan

Sign the Petition at: Flint Talk

From Flint Talk, January 10, 2008

In light of Comcast CEO Robert L. Cohen’s refusal to consider Detroit-area Congressman John Dingell’s request to stop Comcast’s plan to move Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) channels to 900’s, Flint-area public access producers are organizing a boycott of Comcast beginning January 14th.

from: Business Briefcase

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Secretary of State Handel Announces Implementation of Consumer Choice Television Act

Secretary of State Karen Handel today announced the implementation of the Consumer Choice Television Act (House Bill 227), which gives cable and/or video service providers the option to apply for a state-wide franchise license. The statute provides telecommunications companies a less restrictive process to offer cable and video services to Georgia counties and cities.