The Florida bill de-funds and effectively ends PEG channel and facility support. The poor build-out and anti-red-lining provisions ensure that many communities will be left out and under-served. The telcos direct many of their lobby dollars and donations to minority organizations, as a result, the legislators below voted for a bill that will silence and disenfranchise their constituents - very sad.

from: Inside PR [1]

Black Caucus, NAACP Support Competition in Cable Television

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release Contact: Lucius Gantt
850-222-3475

By Lucius Gantt

TALLAHASSEE - Members of The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators (FCBSL) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) joined the fight for cable television franchise reform in the
State of Florida.

Votes tabulated in the last week of the 2007 Florida Legislative session indicated that every African-American member of the Florida House and Florida Senate supported consumer choice and voted in favor of the legislation for cable television franchise reform.

The African-American organizations teamed up with a bi-partisan group of elected officials and the Video Access Alliance to show broad-based support for the Consumer Choice Act of 2007, sponsored by Senator Mike Bennett, Representative Trey Traviesa, member of the Hispanic Caucus and co-sponsors Representative Tee Holloway, Representative Ed Bullard, Representative Matt Meadows, Representative Priscilla Taylor, Representative Charles Chestnut and Representative Terry Fields, members of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislatures.

'We believe that competition in the provision of muti-channel video programming services is and will be a good thing for the citizens of the state of Florida and we support the Consumer Choice Act of 2007- said NAACP State President Adora Obi Nweze.

'As competition expands, the opportunities for minority artists, producers and entrepreneurs will multiply. This legislation will not only make video services more affordable for consumers, it will also give them a much more diverse array of programming to choose from and give the minority viewpoint a greater voice, in short, everyone wins- said Paula Hoisington, Video Access Alliance Spokesperson.

Members of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators fully supported the legislation that would allow the implementation of a streamlined state system. Competition is the most efficient way to increase programming diversity, unleash rapid deployment of broadband services and provide our communities with more choice at lower prices.

'Floridians will realize savings of $400 to $600 million a year now that the state will have an opportunity to transition to a competitive market,- said Rep. Traviesa. 'Now that the bill has passed both the House and the Senate Florida will join the dozen other states offering competition in the video marketplace.

African-Americans in the Sunshine State will no longer have to be concerned about cable TV competition and skyrocketing costs to watch their favorite television shows.

Representative Tee Holloway stated he is glad to see there is a strong provision in the legislation allowing local access to Public Education and Government channels. Those are channels that serve as valid methods of providing program access for community groups.

All of the supporters of cable TV competition legislation say the Consumer Choice Act 2007 will lower prices for cable services, increase investment in state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure and create more high-wage telecommunication jobs in communities.

'Now more than ever before, communications technology is playing a critical role in our lives and in our communities, it is critically important to ensure that we have access to the types of information we desire and need- said Paula Hoisington, spokesperson for the Video Access Alliance.

Florida's legislators have insured that we have a choice in television service purchases by supporting the Consumer Choice Act of 2007 that call for competition in the delivery of telecommunications services and product.

Author:
Lucius Gantt