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from: STL Today

AT&T shows them the money

By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU
07/01/2007

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As AT&T was lobbying this year for a controversial overhaul of Illinois' pay television laws, it was donating tens of thousands of dollars to the state lawmakers who would ultimately approve the measure, records show.

from: SF Weekly

Do you want to live in a world without "The Fantasy Bedtime Tour"?
Fri Jun 29, 2007 at 04:37:46 PM

What would we do without “The Fantasy Bedtime Hour” or “If Christ Returned to you Today?”

Do you want to live in a world without them?

Both can only be seen on San Francisco Cable Access Stations 29 and 76, so we may find out. Zane Blaney, Executive Director of the San Francisco Community Television Corporation (CTC), says California’s new cable laws might force San Francisco’s local cable access stations off the air.

from: SJ-R.com

Governor signs cable legislation
Measure designed to open television markets in state

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published Sunday, July 01, 2007

Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a law Saturday that advocates hope will make Illinois a national leader in opening cable television markets to competition.

rom: ZDNet.com

June 29th, 2007
A tale of two states’ video competition bills: one good, one bad

If you think that (at least some) politicians aren’t resting neatly in the pockets of telecom companies, think again. When Bob Chernow, long time chairman of the Regional Telecommunications Commission in southwestern Wisconsin, finally (it took 45 days of calling to get a meeting) met with Rep. Phil Montgomery, author of an AT&T-pushed bill calling for deregulation of the cable industry, it was not a happy meeting of the minds, reports the Capital Times

from: Flow TV

The Joys of “Civic TV,” or
Television You Probably Don’t Watch

by: Jeffrey P. Jones / Old Dominion University

There’s a particular joy I find in subjecting my friends and family to television programming that makes them squirm. The programs aren’t filled with sex, violence, or foul language, nor are the shows comprised of poor writing, atrocious acting, or outrageous characters such as Flavor Flav. Instead, the programming is best categorized simply as television you probably don’t watch. Televangelists are often a great choice. Home shopping networks rank high as well. In fact, switching back and forth between televangelists and home shopping networks is big fun, but you tend to lose control of the remote rather quickly that way.

from: MultiChannel News

Local Governments Question Statewide Video Franchises

TeleCommUnity Claims Telcos Haven’t Accelerated Deployment
By Linda Haugsted -- Multichannel News, 6/29/2007 12:46:00 PM

Laws moving video-franchising authority to the state level now exist in 21 states (including Illinois, where the governor is expected to sign the bill pending there), but the laws, promoted to speed franchising by competitors, have not accelerated deployment or lowered prices, asserted TeleCommUnity, an alliance of local governments promoting their role in franchising.

from: Broadcasting and Cable

Buildout Big Winner In State Video Franchise Laws

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/29/2007 12:12:00 PM

Buildout requirements have been the big winner in the proliferation of statewide video franchising adopted by 21 states to date.

That's according to Gerry Lederer, legislative council to TeleCommUnity, an alliance of local government officials trying to maintain oversight over telecommunications service in their localities.

from: Hannah Sassaman

Play Ball: Responding to Nancy’s Post at Huffington
Friday June 29th 2007, 4:44 am
Filed under: NCMR2007, 'media reform', radio, rants

So Nancy Scola wrote a really interesting post at the Huffington Post yesterday — all about talk radio and its relationship to the ownership infrastructure in our corporate media. On my way back from hanging out with the Future of Music Coalition and the wicked charming gentlemen of OK Go, who were stumping for low power FM radio on Capitol Hill and spending some quality time with Local Community Radio Act of 2007 sponsors Mr. Lee Terry and Mr. Mike Doyle, I wanted to comment there. Sadly the Huffington peeps only let you post 350 words at a time, and no room for links! Here’s my thoughts on the relationship between low power FM and opportunities for ‘progressive’ talkers to learn their trade and gain opportunities to succeed on the radio dial:

from: State House News Service

HOUSE CHAIRS ON MA VERIZON BILL: NOT THIS YEAR

Legislation easing regulations for telecommunications companies looking to break into cable TV markets, which has the backing of Senate Ways and Means chairman Steven Panagiotakos, is unlikely to pass this session, two House committee chairs said yesterday. Reps. Daniel Bosley, House chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, and Brian Dempsey, House chair of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, said yesterday outside a leadership meeting in House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi’s office that the bill’s prospects this year are dim.

from: The Capital Times

Cut out: Consumer advocates say they're left out of the cable bill

Judith Davidoff — 6/28/2007 11:58 am

Bob Chernow has been chairman of the Regional Telecommunications Commission for two decades. The commission negotiates cable franchise agreements on behalf of 33 communities in southwestern Wisconsin, representing about half of the state's population and cable subscribers.