Save Access

from: Huffington Post

Steve Rosenbaum

Gov. Spitzer Makes the Web Waves, But Will the Empire State Truly Embrace Openness?

If you were the Governor of New York, and you'd just been sworn into office, what would your first act be?

Well - for Elliot Spitzer, the decision he made should prove to be both a clue about the kind of Governor he'll be and what the future of politics may hold.

from: Mid Hudson News

Municipal leaders fear loss of cable TV revenues

Poughkeepsie – Town supervisors and village mayors are concerned about possible legislation in Albany that could result in a loss of cable TV franchise fees to the municipalities.

LaGrange Supervisor Jon Wagner is the new president of the Dutchess County Supervisors and Mayors Association, and he said the local officials are concerned about the potential loss of funds.

from: Syracuse.com

Verizon has no deal for CNY

Wednesday, February 07, 2007
By William LaRue
Staff writer

That $42.99-a-month offer for 200 channels, which Verizon Communications is dangling for its FiOS cable-TV service, remains out of reach in Central New York.

three articles from Albany NY

from: WNYT - Albany

Albany group demands public access TV
Advocates want channel similar to what other cities have
ALBANY, Dec. 4
By BILL LAMBDIN

Some Albany citizens want their own cable television channel. They're demanding that the city negotiate the kind of public access channel many other municipalities already offer.

Note: Here in the NYC area where Verizon has negotiated local franchises and a state franchise in NJ, the company has been advertising their triple play package for $95, a whopping $5 dollar savings over the same offering from cable companies. We guess this is the extent of what can be expected from 'more competition' and 'consumer choice'. We hope the state legislators in New Jersey will be able to explain how their vast public interest give-away was worth such meager 'consumer savings'. State legislators in NY should take notice - instead of 'triple play' they should be demanding 'fair play'.

from: New York Business

City says new cable TV entrants face same rules

by Amanda Fung
August 14, 2006

City Council officials said new cable TV entrants would have to follow the same guidelines as existing franchise-owners.

High-ranking City Council officials said on Monday that new cable TV entrants would have to follow the same guidelines as existing franchise-owners, including financial contributions to public access channels.

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
RESOLUTION NO. 136-A

Resolution calling on the New York Congressional Delegation and all other members of Congress to oppose several bills that have been introduced into the 109th Congress of the United States —Senate Bills S. 1349 and S. 1504 and House of Representatives Bill H.R. 3146—along with the proposed bill of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee entitled The Communications, Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006 (referred to as COPE”) which would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to restrict, if not eliminate, local franchising and severely undermine community programming and the implementation of universal, affordable broadband access.

Great news from the local scene!
from: MultiChannel News

Local Franchises Get Local Support

By Kent Gibbons
5/15/2006

New York— The nation’s biggest phone companies have excellent lobbyists in Washington, working hard to see to it that their clients don’t have to go city by city, across the country, negotiating entry into the video business the way cable companies had to do it.

There's been much activity of late at the municipal level in response to the House and Senate Bills, a summary below. Remember that AT&T and Verizon started the whole state and national franchising push because they claimed that negotiating with local municipalities (as cable companies do) was just too burdensome and slow (for their desired business plan). The cities have a different story to tell . . .

From Gay City News

PERSPECTIVE/ THE MEDIA

The End of ‘Gay USA’ and All Public Access TV

BY ANDY HUMM

Congress is fast-tracking a bill that would severely cut back on the obligation of cable TV companies to devote channels to public access and fund the facilities to run them. If you care at all about preserving these precious community outlets, go immediately to saveaccess.org for the latest information on the bill and how you can stop it.