The Political Whore

Louise Thompson over at Speak Up Tampa Bay, the nonprofit that operates the public access cable television channels in Tampa, sends out a dire warning about legislation on Gov. Charlie Crist’s desk that would mean the end of public access, educational and government (PEG) channels on the cable spectrum.

The anti-PEG provisions are tucked into the telecomm-driven bill that removes authority for local government to regulate and negotiate cable TV franhise agreements and, instead, puts them in the hands of state officials. Once local franchise agreements expire, the provisions for PEG channels would expire with them.
Thompson writes:

Dear Friends of the First Amendment:

House Bill 529 went to the Governor on Thursday and he must respond to it no later than Thursday, May 10.  We have to act quickly.

Please call [850-488-7146] or email the Governor from this site OR directly [ Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com ] immediately and ask him to veto House Bill 529.  Here are some of the reasons:

The bill is the beginning of the end of PEG [Public, Education and Government] access and free speech on the cable-waves in the State of Florida.

Removes local control over rights of way and all the provisions that local government negotiated in franchise agreements to benefit their residents.

Negatively impacts revenues that local government will receive from the companies who dig up our lawns and streets to do business

Requires service complaints to go to the Department of Agriculture instead of local government. Do you think they will be more responsive to us than our local government?

Eliminates PEG channels at the end of current franchise terms or 2012, meaning there will be no PEG access channels in a few years.   There will be no place to view government meetings; no place to watch Homework Hotline or take a college class.  There will be no place for ordinary citizens to get their issues out to their neighbors, for neighborhood concerns to be featured, for non-profits to get free Public Service Announcements made and aired or their events advertised or covered.

Without PEG access, residents will have no place to come to take $10 video production classes that are sure to change their lives by providing them new and marketable skills.

Allows the cable/telecom service provider to discontinue serving subscribers who may not be profitable to them by allowing the cable and telecom companies to stop serving areas with less than 30 homes in a linear cable mile.

It discriminates against public access.

It makes it almost impossible for a town or city to get PEG access if it doesn’t have those channels now.

TBCN has been the electronic soapbox for the local community.  It has helped neighborhood groups and non-profit organizations get their messages out to the community, recruit volunteers, relay concerns and garner attendance at fundraising events.  It’s been covering neighborhood political forums, ML King, Jr. parades, fairs and festivals so viewers can almost “be there.”  TBCN has taped and aired panel discussions on health care topics, highlighted local artists and cultural events and provided coverage of University of Tampa and high school sporting events.  We’ve given local musicians play on our channels and a chance to show off their talents.  Preachers, politicians and producers of TV and film have gotten their starts as a result of public access television training and experience.

Help us continue our efforts in the years to come and for future generations.

Call or write Governor Crist today and tell him to veto House Bill 529.

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