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Green Party Backs Local Cable Access Providers, Blasts Telecomm Bills Thursday, October 6, 2005 Contacts: Congress Should Reject Attacks on Local Cable Access TV. Greens support local cable access providers, and call S. 1394, S. 1504, and R. 3146 giveaways to corporate telecommunications lobbyists. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party cable access producers today criticized three bills in congressional committees that would cancel local control and funding of public, educational, and governmental cable television access. If adopted, the bills may cost local governments billions per year in lost revenue. "The cable companies and the local political machine are already restricting access to cable by disallowing public access," said John Atkeison, producer of the monthly show 'GreenViews' in Wilmington, Delaware. "We pay dearly for time now, and this legislation would make our situation even worse." "Here in West Chester, Pennsylvania, we don't have free cable access," added Victoria Webb, a producer of 'GreenTV', launched by the St. Joe Valley Greens chapter in South Bend, Indiana. "Why? Because Comcast chooses not to offer it in our area. Remember that we, the public -- not corporate television -- own the airwaves. This bill would make it that much harder for the public to have access to yet another service that they already pay for with their tax dollars. We are not getting reciprocal service." Greens warn that S. 1394, S. 1504, and R. 3146 will:
"Were it not for local community outlets, regular people would have no voice; no recourse to communication and information on a local level; no outlet for the creation of programs that train, educate, and provide health education; and no way of making themselves heard," said John Rouse, cable access producer of 'Green Hour' in Arlington, Virginia. "The broadcast airwaves are among our most precious assets, and citizen access, diversity of viewpoints and respect for local community interests are best promoted by local control over these resources." Greens, noting the broken promise of cable as a medium for public access and exchange of ideas and information, assert that the law needs to go in the opposite direction -- towards removing the power of cable companies to restrict access. "Our communities rely on us for protection in what already is a monopoly for cable providers, placing lower income taxpayers are at a severe disadvantage," said Rebecca Rotzler, Deputy Mayor of New Paltz, New York and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "These measures threaten access for elderly and physically impaired residents who participate in community events via television. It would be a complete shame as well as a sham to deny them yet another right." MORE INFORMATION Green Party of the United States Greens on the Air: Directory of broadcast and
webcast programs hosted or produced by Greens "Bills threaten to cut cable to local access
TV programs"
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