Local Public Access TV Under Attack From Trio of Congressional Bills

Local public access television across the United States is being threatened by legislation introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Proponents of the legislation claim that the bills will breakdown monopolies in the cable industry and open the door to increased competition. But critics say the trio of Congressional bills will lead to the elimination of public access television in this country.

Senate Bill 1504 - the Broadband Investment and Consumer Choice Act - was introduced in July by Republican Senators John Ensign of Nevada and John McCain of Arizona. According to the bill, the act would "eliminate government managed competition of existing communication service" and "provide parity between functionally equivalent services."

Essentially, the legislation would eliminate a requirement for telecommunications companies to pay franchise fees to local municipalities. These fees are required as compensation to the community for use of the public right of way through which the companies route cables and utilities. By eliminating the franchise fees, the bill will eliminate the only source of funding that the public access provider receives.

The bills would also replace local cable franchises with national franchises and the concern is that this will take control and oversight away from local government as well as cut channel capacity for public, educational and governmental access channels or PEGs.

* Anthony Riddle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Community Media.
* George Stoney, longtime media activist. His career has spanned more than half a century. He has produced, written and directed more than 50 films and television series. Much of his work has focused on issues of racial justice, social responsibility, community, and freedom of speech. An early advocate of video as a tool for social change, Stoney is also the founder and administrator of public access programs throughout the United States and Canada. He is currently a professor of film and television at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

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