Please contact your state Senator and ask for support of HB 6458. The House passed this bill without opposition and with bipartisan support on June 4. In 2006-07, League members in Connecticut studied several issues surrounding electronic media —net neutrality, broadband internet availability and community access television. Like the print media at our nation’s founding, these venues for expression and information are vital to open government and citizen information. Among the positions we adopted is: The League of Women Voters believes that community access television channels — for public, educational, and governmental programming [PEG] — must be adequately protected, promoted, and funded, regardless of the provider of TV/video services to Connecticut residents. HB 6458, as amended by House Amendment Schedule A, requires regular periodic reviews of cable TV and competitive video providers to ensure that they are complying with the terms of their certificates. It also addresses funding and budget issues related to community access television. Without some kind of regular agency review of this industry, we cannot gauge the unintended consequences of the new "competition" before public interests come to harm. Some PEG operations have been told not to use the “per subscriber” PEG support funds for labor expenses, although there is no explicit prohibition in state law. Others lost funding on which they regularly depended before 2007. Both situations are remedied by this bill. Local chapters of LWVCT depend on their local PEG channels to get their forums and debates to the wider public. Our missions — to educate the public on local issues — are closely related. This is the third year that a bill for Periodic Review has been brought before legislature. It is time to pass it now. Please call your Senator and ask to have HB 6458 called and passed before the end of this session. Democrats: (800) 842-1420 or (860) 240-8600 Republicans: (800) 842-1421 or (860) 240-8800 Thank you for your help at this very busy time of year. Pua Ford, Media Issues Specialist Public Issues Team League of Women Voters of CT Comments Comments are closed. | Advocacy:
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