PRESS COVERAGE

For once, public good doesn't fall into a hole

PEG access television gets important protections in proposed legislation
Letter to the editor by Barbara Popovic
Chicago Sun-Times
June 7, 2007

...In states that have hastily passed legislation, consumer protections have been stripped away, local government authority ended, and public, educational, and government (PEG) access television harmed to the point that in a number of states, PEG access will be completely phased out. Not so in Illinois. Instead of the fast track, the House stood firm for fair competition.    read more

Glory be...

Letter to the editor by Peter Skosey, Chairman of the Board of CAN T V
Chicago Tribune
June 8, 2007

...The compromise achieved in Springfield between big cable and AT&T took months of good-faith marathon negotiations. It was a meaningful democratic process that brought the Illinois Attorney General together with municipalities, consumer advocates, public, education and government interests, telephone and cable to craft a more balanced consumer-oriented piece of legislation. The thin curtain of promises from the original legislation was pulled aside and the stage set for some meaningful protections. read more

Feud better not sabotage cable television bill

Editorial
Daily Southtown
June 11, 2007

...The House unanimously passed a bill sponsored by state Rep. James Brosnahan (D-Evergreen Park) that redefines the playing field for the industry. The bill was sent to the Senate, where it also has strong support. But late in the week, passage of the bill did not appear to be a sure thing. And according to Rich Miller's Capitol Fax, ego apparently was the reason. The personality clash between Senate President Emil Jones and House Speaker Mike Madigan, which has played a major role in producing a most ineffective legislative session, is responsible for souring the cable bill for now.  read more

Consumer protections are cable bill victory

Editorial
Chicago Sun-Times
June 7, 2007

...The original measure, written by phone giant AT&T, was strongly opposed by Comcast and other cable operators, as well as the Illinois Municipal League, whose member cities and towns feared the loss of control and of thousands of dollars in franchise fees. That's because the proposal eliminates the need for any company wanting to offer TV service to negotiate town-by-town franchise agreements -- something Comcast had to do -- in favor of winning authorization from the Illinois Commerce Commission to provide service anywhere in the state. But sponsoring Rep. Jim Brosnahan (D-Evergreen Park), working with the office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan, rewrote the legislation to address most if not all of the complaints and make it fair to both cable and phone companies. read more

The Illinois Model

Editorial
Chicago Tribune
June 5, 2007

Not just 'a bunch of hooey'

Public protections important in crafting cable reform bill
Letter to the editor by Barbara Popovic
Daily Southtown
May 16, 2007

. . . As AT&T fires at cable and cable fires back, the ultimate risk is that the public becomes a casualty in the crossfire. read more

Voice of the People: TV Standards

Letter to the editor by Cal Audrain, Chicago Tribune
May 8, 2007

The Tribune's May 1 editorial "Bring on cable competition" correctly points out that protection of public access channels is achievable in statewide legislation. Unfortunately that has not been true in the majority of the states where AT&T-backed legislation has passed to date. read more

Voice of the People: Cable regulation

Letter to the editor by Mitchell Szczepanczyk, Chicago Tribune
May 8, 2007

. . . The Tribune rightly calls for legislators to “peer through the thicket of lobbyists” to create fair competition. But in order to best serve the public, lawmakers must demand legislation that does not line one industry’s pockets at the public’s expense. read more

Cable Deregulation Challenged

By Curtis Black, Newstips
April 16, 2007

Growing attention on a proposed statewide cable franchise bill could slow a legislative blitz by supporters of telecommunications giant AT&T.

State Representative James Brosnahan (D-Oak Lawn) was expecting the House Telecommunications Committee he chairs to vote Wednesday to approve HB 1500, the franchise bill he has sponsored, but the vote could be delayed. The bill would strip local municipalities of cable franchising power and create state franchises authorized by the Illinois Commerce Commission, going far toward deregulating the industry in Illinois. read more


Cable, phone industries up donations

Stakes high in fight over bill to promote competition
by Dana Heupel, State Journal Register

As debate heats up over legislation to ease the way for telephone companies to compete with cable television firms, a new study shows that both sides have donated large sums to Illinois lawmakers and the governor over the past two years. read more


AT&T's video option not in the public interest
Letter to the Editor
By Brian Imus
Bloomington Pantagraph

Don't be fooled by the claim that customers will be better served if AT&T gains access to the video market via its corporate-welfare measure, House Bill 1500.

Of course, AT&T already has access to the cable TV market since cable franchising is non-exclusive. But what AT&T wants is favored status in that market as well as to stultify any new competitors that might emerge.

Even AT&T's chief executive officer, Ed Whitacre, has repeatedly refuted any consumer price benefits. read more


Community TV: If cable changes, what would happen to public programming?

by Patrick Corcoran, Pioneer Press
January 25, 2007

Public access television providers are worried they'll be lost in the shuffle stemming from AT&T's video network proposal.

AT&T is proposing in some Chicago markets to provide phone, Internet and television service, similar to cable franchises. But since AT&T's services will be offered via telephone and not cable lines, AT&T asserts it should not be held to long-standing cable franchise agreements,

It's these agreements that, among other guarantees, provide public access programs such as local calendar listings, the village's Fourth of July parade coverage, broadcasts of public meetings, and original programming.

Barbara Popovic, executive director of Chicago Access Netowrk Television (CAN TV), Chicago's public access network, says AT&T is attempting an end run around the rules that protect public access networks. read more

Click here for Sun-Times letter to the editor regarding Illinois House Bill 1500 from Gayle Smolinski, executive board chairwoman for Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and mayor of Village of Roselle

Click here for Sun-Times letter to the editor regarding Illinois House Bill 1500 from Brian Imus, state director of Illinois PIRG.


FCC Ruling Makes Wrong Call for Consumers
letter to editor by Peter Skosey, CAN TV Board Chair
Chicago Sun-Times Jan. 3, 2007

The recent FCC ruling, "Path clears for competition in cable market" [news story, Dec.21] represents another salvo in the telephone industry’s attempts to gain control of the video market. With cable prices on the rise, the nation’s telephone companies claim to offer increased competition and lower prices. They convinced the Federal Communications Commission (three Republicans, two Democrats), which by a partisan 3-2 vote flipped telecom reform on its head and assured that the public will bear the burden. read more



Hanging up on Reform

letter to editor by Barbara Popovic, CAN TV Executive Director
Chicago Sun-Times June 15, 2006

On June 8, the U.S. House passed the COPE Act of 2006 (Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement), hailed by the telephone industry as major telecommunications reform. Unfortunately, there isn’t much reform in sight. read more

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