Save Access

from: MLive

Public access TV channel may vanish without funding
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
By Greg Chandler
The Grand Rapids Press

HOLLAND -- Viewers of the public-access channel MacTV outside the Holland city limits could lose coverage later this year unless their local governments step in to assist with funding.

from: MLive

Comcast apologizes for local access changes
by The Associated Press
Tuesday January 29, 2008, 4:46 PM

WASHINGTON -- Comcast Corp. apologized today for the way it handled a proposed shift of community access programming in Michigan that would force customers to get converter boxes or new TVs to continue to watch local government meetings and high school football games.

from: CSPAN

Check the link above, CSPAN changes their schedule nearly hourly

11:12 pm TONIGHT

and . . .

C-SPAN 2
07:30 AM EST Jan 30
House Committee
Public Service on Television
Energy & Commerce, Telecommunications and the Internet
Edward J. Markey , D-MA

from: Ars Technica

P2P users blast Comcast in FCC proceeding

By Matthew Lasar | Published: January 29, 2008 - 08:14AM CT

Two weeks into a Federal Communications Commission public comment period on whether Comcast deliberately degrades P2P broadband traffic, there's no shortage of angry users who feel cheated and want the tampering to stop. Evidence is also mounting that Comcast is blocking more than just P2P traffic.

from: MSNBC

Cable TV: King of misleading come-ons
Companies focus on bottom line, not customer satisfaction

By Bob Sullivan
Technology correspondent
updated 9:38 p.m. ET, Mon., Jan. 28, 2008

Television, from the start, has always been addictive. And there’s nothing easier than stealing from an addict.

Today's Commerce Telecommunications Subcommittee Hearing, "Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) services in the Digital TV Age", was called by Rep. John Dingell (MI) in response to Comcast's actions in Michigan. Comcast had unilaterally announced that PEG channels in many municipalities would be bumped from analog cable carriage to obscure digital channels in the 900 range. The move would mean that 'basic' cable subscribers would no longer have access to the local PEG channels, in fact they would need to subscribe to more a expensive digital cable service tier and pay for an additional charge for a digital cable set-top box.

from: MultiChannel News

Comcast's Cohen To Issue PEG Apology To Congress
Will Admit Fumbling Plan Concerning Public, Educational, and Government Channels
By Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 1/29/2008 4:38:00 AM

WASHINGTON – In a contrite statement, Comcast Corp. executive vice president David Cohen is planning to apologize to a House subcommittee Tuesday afternoon for fumbling a plan that required thousands of Michigan subscribers to obtain at least one digital set-top box to view local public, educational, and government (PEG) channels.

from: MultiChannel News

The Winds of Change
Potential Reform of FCC Could Go in Many Directions
by Ted Hearn -- Multichannel News, 1/28/2008

The House Energy and Commerce Committee is shining a spotlight on FCC chairman Kevin Martin’s management of the agency. (See “Watching the Martin Watch,” page 18, Jan. 21, 2008).

from: The Street Insider

Cable Competition, Prices, and Service Rated 'Very Poor'

January 29, 2008 8:10 AM EST

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the law firm of Howard & Howard Attorneys, P.C. issued its inaugural "Cable Competition Index" for the State of Michigan. Howard & Howard's Cable Competition Index considers the status of wireline video competition in the state, the level of customer service provided by cable operators, and the relative pace of cable price increases.

from: WBHS9

How will AT&T's Legislation affect Channel 9?

Dear Editor:

Your recent article regarding AT&T’s proposed legislation stirred a response from Paul Stinson, Manager of Regulatory and External Affairs for AT&T. On January 7th, a meeting was held with Mr. Stinson, Mr. Keidel, a concerned parent and me. After the meeting I sat down and composed a list comparing the status quo with what AT&T has proposed for Access channels like WBHS9.