Save Access

from: Common Cause

Ohio Senate Bill 117 is not "TV4US"

By Sibley Arnebeck
Posted on Tue May 29, 2007 at 09:33:56 AM EST

SB 117, Ohio's "state video franchising reform" bill is yet another business friendly scheme borrowed from Michigan. A previous effort was the successful "buying" of (through illegally funded "issue ads") a business friendly supreme court. This time telco giants are spending large amounts of money through their phony "astroturf" front groups to advertise and lobby to "buy" legislation favorable to their shareholders, with no regard for their obligation to provide diversity of information and service to all of the people.

SB117 would take away long standing local control of "cable franchises" to establish service standards and provide funding for public, educational and government (PEG) access channels. Whether communities will retain public access channels will depend upon a "use it or lose it standard," rather than having it available for communities to use when they need it. Control will now go to the state level Ohio Department of Commerce which promotes commerce not the public interest. With no oversight these giant corporate interests will be able to redline services, and erode "Home Rule" protections of municipalities.

Whenever there is this much effort (and money) spent by big business to pass legislation, the public should be wary that they are most likely being conned again. The phony TV4US front group which is sponsoring an expensive ad campaign is not doing it for "us," the public, they are only interested in getting the best deal for themselves. That includes using the public's rights-of-way to lay their cables and determining who gets free access channels and when. This exploitive market driven enterprise precludes the original concept of giving back to the public a few local channels where communities can converse, entertain and inform each other about things that they determine are important to them.

SB 117 is yet another example of how large corporate interests can dominate the political process with money and influence to such a degree that the public is shut out.

(Henry Eckhart, Common Cause/OH Board member, contributed to this article)