CAN TV cannot wait for a solution

City must make a quick fix and figure out a better, long-term plan for funding public access

Chicago Journal

Published March 04, 2004

[Our Views]

Thanks to mismanagement at RCN cable company, Chicago's public access station is scrambling to pay its bills. You see, RCN has hasn't made more than $600,000 in payments to the non-profit CAN TV over the course of two years, payments that back in 2000 they promised to pony up in exchange for the privilege of doing business in four of the city's five cable franchise areas. If at least a chunk of that money doesn't turn up soon, CAN TV will have to slash its budget, lay off workers, and cut programming.

This leaves city leaders in a tough place: If, as punishment, they pull RCN's contract to operate in Chicago, that leaves four fifths's of the city without cable competition. And it means that RCN will actually have to weather an $860,000 hit to its annual budget. That's because without that competition, instead of receiving 10 payments of $215,000 annually from cable operators, CAN TV would only receive six each year.

But if the city decides to see CAN TV through its financial hardship-and write off the missed payments-it will be sending a message to cable operators that they needn't pay their debt to society.

Either way, CAN TV loses, which is a real shame because the city simply can't do without a decently funded public access station. CAN TV is the only truly local television broadcaster in the city. It provides a forum for aldermen to speak to their constituents, and for citizens to speak to their aldermen. It gives the public a voice on the airwaves-a voice that's not provided by network stations or any for-profit cable broadcasters. Without that voice, the corporatization of television is complete. The little guy gets no say.

CAN TV needs to be funded, and the city has to find a way to do it. First, by keeping closer tabs on the finances of cable operators in the future so there's less room for misanagement and missed payments. Second, by finding alternate funding for cable access operations if the market simply can't bear the burden on its own.

The time is now to figure out a new formula for supporting cable access. Otherwise, the station will suffer and in turn, we will all lose.

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