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From: Worcester Telegram and Gazette

Cable access could face cut
Funding affects public channels

By Matthew Stone SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
Jun 3, 2006

WORCESTER— The city’s three public access television channels could lose nearly $700,000 in annual funding under major telecommunications legislation before Congress, according to a recent report by the Washington, D.C.-based Alliance for Community Media.

A new report issued by the Alliance for Community Media shows clearly how much support would be lost to Public, Educational and Governmental Access communities (PEG) under bills now being considered by Congress.

From: The Beacon News

Whose channel is it anyway?
Towns, feds fight to control communications providers

By Heather Gillers
Staff Writer

Fox Valley towns are criticizing a proposed federal law that would transfer some of their power over cable television providers to Washington, D.C.

from: Technology Daily

Firms Fork Over Funds For Cable Rate Campaign

By Heather Greenfield
(Friday, May 26)

Telecom companies are spending serious green on advertising in recent weeks alerting Congress and their staffers to what they call a serious cause -- a grassroots campaign for lower cable and broadband rates.

from: Technology Daily

Key Senate Democrat Unveils Draft Telecom Legislation

By Sarah Lai Stirland

(Thursday, May 25) The top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee -- Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii -- issued a draft bill outlining his views on how telecommunications reform legislation should take shape, even as the panel continues to work on a proposal by Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

NATOA ACTION ALERT

A TALE OF TWO TELECOMMUNICATIONS BILLS

ISSUE:
I. House of Representatives
The Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006 under consideration in the House would strip local governments of their authority to franchise their public rights-of-way for video/cable services and impose a national franchising scheme. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would oversee and second-guess all local rights-of-way management practices and customer service issues. It would allow new market entrants to pick and choose the neighborhoods they want to serve while bypassing all others completely.

We have some report-backs with media and articles from the May 24th actions. Check it out!

from: CNET - go to the link to see photos

Protesters face off with Verizon, AT&T
By Declan McCullagh
Story last modified Wed May 24 17:51:02 PDT 2006

Protesters lined streets on both coasts Wednesday to bring public awareness to the telecommunications policy debates currently going on in Washington, D.C., and to show opposition to the phone companies reportedly providing customer records without a court order to the National Security Agency.

Verizon Can Hear Protesters Now
from: MultiChannel News

By Steve Donohue 5/24/2006 5:22:00 PM

New York -- Chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, greedy telcos have to go,” about 75 public-access-programming advocates rallied in a protest outside Verizon Communications Inc. headquarters here Wednesday.

from: MultiChannel News

Stevens: Senate Will Pass Telecom Bill

By Ted Hearn
5/18/2006

Washington -- Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) predicted Thursday that his broad telecommunications bill would pass the Senate this year, even though his panel remains sharply divided on some key policies.