Save Access

from: Badger Herald

OPINION & EDITORIAL
State cable bill phoned in by AT&T

by Adi Lev-er
Wednesday, November 7, 2007

The state Senate will vote on a bill tomorrow that would deregulate the cable industry in Wisconsin. Currently, local municipalities are in control of the industry; they grant the necessary franchise contracts to cable companies. The proposed bill would transfer that control over to the state. Instead of relying on the local government to consider each cable company individually and set up a contract, the state would create a standard by which companies would be granted franchises.

from: Journal Sentinel

Lawmaker hopes to help rural cable users ease 'digital divide'

By STEVEN WALTERS
swalters@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 5, 2007

Madison - A state senator from western Wisconsin will try to rewrite a controversial cable franchise bill to require AT&T, cable and other companies to contribute up to $7.5 million to a new "digital divide" fund to make sure rural areas get the same services as cities and suburbs.

Note: An op-ed piece placed by a AT&T consultant

from: Madison.com

OPINION Letters to the Editor
Joe Mettner: Video bill is pro-consumer and supports public access

Joe Mettner — 11/05/2007 7:42 am

The Wisconsin Video Competition Act has deservedly attracted strong support from the public and legislators because the bill is pro-consumer. The recent column on the bill by John Nichols contained many serious inaccuracies that need correction. While relatively rare to read this extent of factual license in Nichols' columns, the record should be set straight concerning the purpose, content and effects of the video legislation.

from: Journal Sentinel

Lawmaker hopes to help rural cable users ease 'digital divide'

By STEVEN WALTERS
swalters@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Nov. 5, 2007

Madison - A state senator from western Wisconsin will try to rewrite a controversial cable franchise bill to require AT&T, cable and other companies to contribute up to $7.5 million to a new "digital divide" fund to make sure rural areas get the same services as cities and suburbs.

from: Bain-Blog

Cable Competition Bill in Wisconsin Passes Joint Finance Committee

November 1, 2007


Yesterday, the Joint Finance Committee voted 13-3 in favor of the so-called cable competition bill (AB207/SB107). Unfortunately, Wisconsin is on path to pass a bill that is more friendly to AT&T than us as consumers. It also threatens funding for PEG stations such as OCAT.

In response, I sent a letter to the members of the JFC asking the legislators why Wisconsin citizens and communities deserve less than our neighbors in Illinois? I also urged them and their colleagues to support a bill that protects Wisconsin public access television and the rights of Wisconsin consumers. Now, I urge you to do the same.

Contact Senator Roessler and Representatives Hintz and Owens and ask them to support OCAT and Wisconsin consumers by supporting an “Illinois version” of the bill in Wisconsin.

For more information, check out the Save Access Wisconsin Web site.

-Bryan

UPDATE: (Courtesy of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign)

“For the nearly four months that the state budget stalemate dragged on, we saw the Legislature at its worst. We are seeing it again with the mad rush to pass AT&T’s cable TV bill. When you’d think our elected officials would insist that AT&T give Wisconsin a cable deal at least as good as the company agreed to in Illinois, lawmakers here seem to have been rendered blind, deaf and dumb by AT&T’s public relations and lobbying blitz.”

“A front group for the company, TV4Us, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads promoting AT&T’s position. The company has spent more than $200,000 on lobbying at the Capitol so far this session, and has given current legislators and the governor more than $352,000 in campaign contributions including over $28,000 in the first half of the year while the bill was being prepared for introduction and sailed through the Assembly.”

“Then just a few days ago, AT&T and its allies released a poll aimed at sealing the deal in the Senate. After you read the poll results, read a little about the polling firm, which prides itself on shaping public opinion rather than measuring it.”

“AT&T’s bill passed the Assembly on a 66-28 vote in early May and then was just approved by the Joint Finance Committee 13-3 on Wednesday. It has been scheduled for a vote in the full Senate next Thursday. So far, lawmakers haven’t been willing to do what even some of the proposal’s original backers have been doing … namely reading the bill’s fine print and looking at AT&T’s track record on keeping past promises. That’s leading to second thoughts. To see what we mean, go here and here.”

from: PR Watch

AT&T's Wisconsin Network Finds Broad Support for Video "Choice"

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on Tue, 10/30/2007 - 16:36.

It's no secret that polls are used to shape public opinion at least as much as they're used to measure it. The website of one major U.S. polling firm, the Mellman Group, boasts its "extensive experience developing effective communications strategies that lead people to choose our client's product or service, join their organization, hold their opinion, or vote as we would like."

from: Tomah Journal

Published - Sunday, November 04, 2007

Column: AT&T gets to write its own telecom rules

By Kathleen Vinehout
.
A man from Eau Claire called this week. He was suspicious by a post card that came in the mail. “AT&T wants me to ask my senator for competition in cable. Don’t they really want something else?” He was looking for direction.

from: Madison.com

Local communications union pulls support of video bill

Judith Davidoff and David Callender — 11/01/2007 12:11 pm

Though AT&T says good jobs will go to its workers if the state passes a proposed video franchise bill, the largest union local in its Wisconsin workforce is not buying it.

Note: PEG is headed for a fall in Wisconsin unless rational minds somehow prevail. This will be a fight to the end but with the big corporate money involved the odds are tilted. Unfortunately, we can no longer count the CWA amongst the rational in this fight. Despite the support of at least one right thinking local, the CWA at the state and national level are placing their own self-interest above the public interest, and in Wisconsin they are actively out canvasing for AT&T's bill, sad but true.