Bringing Public Access TV to Fresno/Clovis

Bringing Public Access TV to Fresno/Clovis
By Mike Rhodes

Media democracy activists in this community started working to bring Public Access TV to the Fresno/Clovis area about 5 years ago. The existing franchise agreement between the City and the cable service provider was about to expire and experts agreed that this was the time to improve cable services to the community - with additional services, like Public, Educational, Government (PEG) channels and a Community Media Center (CMC).

Today, because of changes in the telecommunications and cable industry, we are looking at a landscape that would have been unimaginable 5 years ago. Legislation in Sacramento is about to eliminate any future agreements between individual government entities and cable operators. Instead of 400 + separate agreements in California, there will be one master agreement. While the details have not been worked out yet, analysts say the legislation is sure to pass later this year.

According to Ron Cooper, executive director of Access Sacramento, “AB 2987 is rapidly moving through the California State Legislature.” Cooper, in an article posted on Indymedia (see http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/21/18290361.php ) on Friday, July 21, 2006 wrote “AB 2987 (Nunez & Levine) is the Telco legislation pushing to change the way Califonians receive their broadband and cable television services. As initially drafted, it was a blueprint for AT&T to pick their customers despite the massive advertising campaign emphasizing ‘competition’ and ‘choice.’ However, the Alliance for Community Media, Western Region working together with other advocacy groups including the League of Cities and Media Alliance have accomplished significant changes in the original draft of the bill and continue to influence the legislative process.” The hope is that the final legislation will include full funding for PEG access. To follow the details of the legislation, go to http://www.acmwest.org .

Even before the legislation in Sacramento, negotiations between Comcast and Fresno/Clovis were moving at a snails pace. Now, because Comcast thinks they can get a better deal in the State negotiated master agreement, talks here have completely broken down. The City of Fresno will process paperwork, possibly next week, indicating that they have reached an impasse with Comcast.

Fresno County, on the other hand, did reach an agreement with Comcast on June 13, 2006 (see http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/06/13/18280543.php ) which did not include a Public Access channel. The agreement does include funding for a government channel and authorizes two education channels. It is possible for the Board of Supervisors to approve the designation of one of the channels for public use, but that would have to be done at a future board meeting.

California State University, Fresno is exploring the possibility of using their studio facilities for the production of Public Access programs. If there is a revenue stream to support the studio, CSUF will be the likely site for the initial Community Media Center. A collaborative with CSUF would leverage community support and make the limited funding available go further. Once the Cities of Fresno/Clovis have a franchise agreement (whether through State legislation or on their own) the financial picture should improve.

The group that is working to link CSUF, Fresno County, and the cities of Fresno/Clovis together is the Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC). The CMAC emerged through the organizing that took place as media democracy activists worked to secure a franchise agreement that included PEG access and a CMC between the cable operators and the government entities (Fresno County, the City of Fresno and City of Clovis). The group is a nonprofit 501 c3 and is developing a business plan for overseeing the project.

Once the Board of Supervisors recognize CMAC and requests channels for PEG access, it will take approximately 120 days before we will see local programming on the cable network. Fresno County residents who want to see PEG access channels and a CMC in this area could contact their Supervisor (contact information is available here: http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/0110a/default.asp ) and let them know that you want a Public Access channel and for them to recognize the CMAC to oversee the Community Media Center and PEG access channels.

For background information on this issue, see:

http://www.fresnoalliance.com/home/pegcableaccess.htm
http://www.fresnoalliance.com/Dec6.htm