On May 24th, 2006, community media and network neutrality supporters came together for a national Day of Out(R)age to protest efforts by giant telecommunications companies to take away local control of media and create a less open Internet.
(To learn more about the nationwide protests in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York on that day, visit Save Access. To learn more about the events in Boston on that day, read this report (w/video) from Andy Carvin)
Three years later, the big telecos are back. But this time they have another strategy - to change the laws one state at a time.
The new video service provider on the block (aka, Verizon), also the current Internet provider in Massachusetts, wants to make it more difficult for local officials to negotiate franchise agreements with video service providers within a reasonable period of time.
Cambridge Community Television (where I work) writes more about the details of the Verizon-supported legislation (House Bill No. 3765 and Senate Bill No. 1531, An Act Promoting Consumer Choice and Competition) soon to be decided on Beacon Hill:
Verizon’s proposed bill is harmful to cities and towns. It includes a shot clock provision where communities must act upon a new cable television license as follows:
A. Within 10 DAYS of receipt of an application, a city or town shall begin negotiations with the carrier, regardless of the city or town’s ability to identify its basic negotiations needs in such a short period of time.
B. Within 90 DAYS of receipt of an application, a city or town shall hold a public hearing on the financial, technical, and other qualifications to operate a cable television system.
C. Within FIVE DAYS of the public hearing, the city or town shall either approve or deny the application. If approved, a final license document must be issued within those five days! Issuing a final license document within five days of a hearing is obviously unfair and unreasonable.
This is a bad bill, written BY AND FOR one company without adequately balancing the needs of cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The current licensing law protects the needs of cities and towns to enter into thoughtful and meaningful negotiations.
The impact of this legislation could be devastating for local control of media.
Visit Open Mass to read more about House Bill No. 3765 - “relative to choice and competition for cable service” and Senate Bill No. 1531 - “for legislation to promote consumer choice and competition for cable service.”
To show your support for community media in Massachusetts on July 22, CCTV writes:
What YOU can do:
1. Come with other CCTV members and staff to the State House to show your opposition to this bill. Meet at CCTV on Wednesday, July 22 at 9AM to travel by Red Line to the State House, or meet us in Room A-1 at 10AM. You need not testify - just showing up will help to make the point that citizens of the Commonwealth do not want this legislation.2. Send an email or letter to the senators and representatives on the Joint Telecommunications Committee - a list of their names and addresses and a sample letter is attached.
3. Make sure that your state representatives and senators, and City Councilors, know that you want them to oppose this legislation - send them copies of your letters and emails - their addresses are also attached.
4. Please send copies of any correspondence to CCTV, 675 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. info@cctvcambridge.org
If you care about free speech and local control of our media system, then I hope you will join us on July 22, 2009 at 10AM in Boston to show your support and stand with us once again.
(Photo above by Steve Garfield available on Flickr under a Creative Commons license)
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