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from: Detroit Free Press

Comcast channel changes opposed
Bill in the works would force return to original format

January 11, 2008

By CHRISTY ARBOSCELLO

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Michigan lawmakers are crafting a bill to reverse Comcast's plan to exile public access programming from the low-numbered stations to digital-only channels positioned in the 900s.

from: Lansing State Journal

Published January 11, 2008

Public TV: Comcast shift on public access enhances importance of Web
A Lansing State Journal editorial

Communities across mid-Michigan are running into the fallout of a 2006 state law altering oversight of cable television. The consensus view appears to be one of unhappiness at changes in which community content will appear.

from: Macomb Daily

PUBLISHED: Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Legislators fight cable channel switches

Comcast moving stations used by communities, schools to 900s.

By Frank DeFrank
Macomb Daily Staff Writer

State lawmakers may try to stop Comcast and other cable television companies from relocating government-access channels to less-frequented areas of the dial.

from: Capital Times

Gov should have vetoed cable bill

An editorial — 1/07/2008 9:59 am

Gov. Jim Doyle recognized that Assembly Bill 207, the plan to restructure cable regulations to favor AT&T and other big telecom companies, was flawed legislation.

That recognition led Doyle to veto substantial portions of the proposal that was crafted by AT&T lobbyists and that critics say was advanced by Republicans in the Assembly and Democrats in the Senate in order to satisfy the demands of big campaign donors.

from: Blogging Broadband

Comcast Deadline to Respond to Chairman Dingell Approaches

Within hours, Comcast is expected to respond to Representative John Dingell’s December 21, 2007 letter which asked the company to postpone its plan to migrate public, educational, and government (”PEG”) access channels to the company’s digital tier. Representative Dingell is Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and may well be the most experienced member of Congress on cable issues. Nevertheless, I fear that Comcast will proceed with its plan.

from: Times Herald

Comcast risks its commitment to public access

The Blue Water Area Chamber of Commerce sent the following letter to Brian Roberts, Comcast's president and chief executive officer, in response to the announcement of its plans to eliminate PEG channels on the basic package for Comcast subscribers:

from: Lansing State Journal

Tim Skubick: Cable giant holds reins
Comcast's shift on local access reflects the times

Admittedly picking on the cable TV industry is easy. What other industry can routinely tell its customers to wait at home for a month for the repair guy to show up?

from: Paul Gardner - via Free Press

Minnesota Video Franchise Bill in Legislature

From State Rep. Paul Gardiner (Minn.), January 4, 2008

[Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Rep. Paul Gardiner (Minn. D-53).]

Town hall meeting: With the legislative session coming up on February 12th, Senator Rummel and I will be holding a town hall meeting to meet with constituents on Wednesday, January 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at Lino Lakes City Hall. Directions are on the home page of the Lino Lakes web site.

from: Union Network

"Connect Ohio" Project Embraces CWA's Speed Matters Campaign

- Labour news from UNI global union - for trade unions in a global services economy.

Determined to bring high-speed internet access to all of Ohio, CWA's District 4 has helped launch a private-public partnership in the state that will identify underserved areas and build coalitions to attract investment. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland announced the program, called Connect Ohio, this week at a news conference attended by CWA District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen, as well as members of the telecom industry.

from: Nashville City Paper

AT&T vs. Cable, round 2
By John Rodgers, jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com

AT&T vs. Cable, round 2
Ding ding.

That’s the sound of the bell ringing to begin round two of the multi-million dollar battle between AT&T and the cable industry and local towns and cities over statewide television video franchising.