Save Access

from: Fox Tampa Bay

Public Access Loses Battle in Hillsborough County

September 21, 2007

An ongoing battle over public access television ended Thursday night at the meeting of the Hillsborough County Commission on balancing the budget. The cable channel lost all its public funding from the county, but those with their own shows are trying to stake a claim on the cable programming.

from: Iowa Politics

Rep. Wise: Urges Iowa Utility Board to move quickly for cable TV competition
9/20/2007

For More Information:
Rep. Phil Wise 319-795-0514

The inability of Mediacom and the Big Ten Network to reach an agreement to provide University of Iowa programming in Mediacom’s basic cable package is a prime example of why cable television needs competition in Iowa.

from: Tampa Tribune

Florida Shows Face Finale on Public Access

September 20, 2007
By Anthony McCartney

After two decades of broadcasting, a pair of Tampa television stations say they’re in danger of losing their local flavor.

Budget cuts threaten Hillsborough County’s annual stipends to The Education Channel and Tampa Bay Community Network/Speak Up Tampa Bay, a combined $874,433.

from: KCCI News

Judge Strikes Down State Law Permitting Cable Franchise Fees
City Plans Supreme Court Appeal

POSTED: 1:14 pm CDT September 20, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A Polk County judge has struck down a portion of a state law permitting city governments to assess fees of up to 5 percent on cable television connections.

from: News Press

Crist lauds AT&T climb into cable, Internet ring
By Jim Ash
news-press.com Tallahassee Bureau
Originally posted on September 20, 2007

TALLAHASSEE — Communications giant AT&T of Florida announced today it is investing $750 million to bring high-speed Internet and video to customers it hopes to lure from traditional TV cable companies.

Note: an email received at saveaccess.org. Florida is
reeling with cuts to PEG as a result of the recently passed
state video franchise. While community members will likely
strike back at their municipalities, we want to remind
everyone to reserve a good dose of anger for the phone
companies who were the cause of this situation in the
first place.

Help Save Public Access TV

from: LI Biz Blog

Cablevision cries foul

Sep 18th, 2007 by David Reich-Hale

handcables.gifFascinating Viewpoint page in Crain’s New York Business. It’s a must read for anyone as infatuated with the Verizon-Cablevision battle as we are.

The New York business publication writes an editorial demanding that New York City grant Verizon a video franchise so the FiOS provider can start to roll out its TV services in the Big Apple. Crain’s takes a shot at Cablevision and Time Warner, the two cable companies that do business in NYC, by saying “New Yorkers want a choice. A Charney Associates Poll commissioned by Crain’s New York Business found that 51 percent of cable subscribers in the city would switch if they had that option - a startling percentage.”

from: Eureka Reporter

Pending FCC ruling could affect cable franchises nationwide

by Steve Spain, The Eureka Reporter, 9/17/2007

An imminent ruling by the Federal Communications Commission may toss municipal cable franchise agreements out the window. According to sources in Washington, D.C., the FCC is expected to rule next week on the ability of local governments to negotiate franchise contracts with cable and telecom operators.

from: St Petersburg Times

Shoving Democracy Farther from View

September 15, 2007
By Howard Troxler

A bit of ancient history, please.

Our society didn’t always have cable television.

I remember my family getting it for the first time. There were 13 channels. One of them showed nothing but a clock, thermometer and wind meter. It was fascinating.

from: MultiChannel news

Calif. City: TWC’s Illegal
Carlsbad Files Suit Over Lapsed Cable Franchise

By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 9/17/2007

A San Diego County, Calif., municipality is suing Time Warner Cable, alleging the operator is illegally occupying city rights of way without a franchise.