2011-02-23 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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�a�l� Can�mission ��_��E�E��.��_��.E�f��.��. The �ommunity �cc�ss �reservation �ct , A bill to protect public, educational, and government Second, it would guarantee that PEG channels are . (PEG) access was introduced in the U.S. House, in available to subscribers without additional cable box the fall of 2009, by Wisconsin Representative Tammy charges, and are of equivalent quality, accessability, Baldwin. functionality, and placement to local commercial television stations. Third, it would direct the FCC to The Community Access Preservation Act, or CAP Act, conduct a study and report to Congress on the impact addresses problems faced by PEG access organizations of statewide franchising on PEG access organizations. m areas of fundmg, and channel placement and qual- And fourth rt would define what a cable company ity. The Act also defines what a cable service is, and is. It would clarify that any company providing requires that a study regarding the effects of statewide multi-channel video services via a wired facility in franchising on PEG be conducted. the public rights-of-way would be a cable company, subject to the Cable Act. As background, under pressure from phone and some cable companies, many states have adopted statewide �roughout 2010, the bill garnered many Democrat franchising procedures to replace the traditional local sponsors. However, without a Republican sponsor, franchising of mult-video channel providers that use the bill did not have a chance of passage. public rights-of-way to provide their product. Indus- tries' argument was that this would make it easier for Many organizations such as the National Organiza- more than one video provider to provide service in an tions of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors area, and would foster competition. (NATOA), the Alliance for Community Media (ACM), and American Community Television (ACT) The results of the move to statewide franchising have have been working hard to garner Republican support not necessarily been good for states. While it is true that for the bill. cable rates do not rise as fast in areas where subscribers have a choice between two wire-line, multi-channel It looks as though there has been a breakthrough. video providers, studies showed that it was not at all Ohio Republican Representative LaTourette has clear that statewide franchising led to more competition. agreed to co-sponsor the CAP Act. Eight states, including Ohio, will lose all of their PEG funding Those same studies have shown that PEG access organi- in 2011 as a result of statewide franchising. There is zations have not fared well under statewide franchising, a belief that more Republicans will be signing on as losing much of its funding and other support. sponsors in 2011. The CAP Act was introduced to fix the most egregious 'I'he CAP Act has been revised somewhat to reflect problems faced by PEG organizations across the coun- Congressman LaTourette's interests and concerns, but try, as a result of the move from local to statewide contains essentially the same protections. franchising. There is guarded optimism that a bi-partisan piece of The bill addresses four problems. First, it would remove legislation will make it through the House. limits on the use of PEG access funding. Under current rules PEG funding can only be used for captial expen- ditures. The Act would allow PEG funds to be used for whatever expenditures the PEG organization wanted to spend them on, including operational expenses. � � � �' � _ � � � � � � � E � �' � �: NMTV 2010 Annual Report 26