SEATOA P-E-G Issues

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SEATOA Supports Public – Educational – Government (P-E-G) Access Channels

SEATOA believes our local Public, Education and Government (PEG) cable access channels serve critical community purposes, such as life-time learning, worker training, conveying emergency information, and keeping the community in touch with itself, its educational institutions and its elected officials.

New state cable laws are slowly dismantling these channels, by closing off funding and failing to penalize cable operators who refuse to provide required PEG channels, or who are illegally removing these channels from the federally-mandated lowest priced, basic tier of cable services. Some companies are designing their video network to degrade the quality of PEG channels via a web-like, sub-menu format.

SEATOA feels Federal intervention is necessary to arrest this loss of an important community resource, a resource allocated to local communities under federal law - the 1984 Cable Act.

P-E-G Legislative Issues Update:

HELP PASS THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY ACCESS PRESERVATION ACT

SEATOA believes passage of the Community Access Preservation (CAP) Act is vital – for the reasons stated below – and encourages you to contact your federal representatives to ask them to both co-sponsor the bill and vote in favor of its passage. Although the CAP Act does not address all issues regarding PEG, it is an excellent first step in insuring the long-term health and viability of PEG.

Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) recently introduced the CAP Act to address some of the most pressing issues facing PEG channels as a result of the passage of statewide cable franchising bills in more than 20 states and unfavorable rulings regarding PEG by the FCC. The CAP Act - while it does not resolve all of the issues effecting communities’ abilities to continue to provide vital PEG services to their citizens - does address four key areas of importance.

1. The CAP Act would amend the Cable Act to insure that PEG support fees could be used for any PEG purpose. The bill addresses the FCC's ruling that PEG support negotiated in cable franchises - in addition to the franchise fee permitted under the Cable Act of 1984 – may only be used for facilities and equipment and not for PEG operations. This ruling has crippled the ability of many PEG operators, who depend on negotiated support in local franchises, to continue to provide valuable PEG services to their communities.

2. The CAP Act reaffirms Congressional intent to provide PEG on the lowest cable tier and requires cable providers to treat PEG channels in the same manner as all other local commercial channels. Many cable providers are now discriminating against PEG channels in the manner in which these channels are provided and in the placement of these channels on their systems. With the emergence of digital and internet technologies, cable providers have attempted to relegate PEG to the outer reaches of their digital tiers This is vividly illustrated by Comcast's decision to move PEG channels in Michigan to the 900 series of channels – and by AT&T's introduction of their U-Verse system which bundles all PEG channels in a given region onto one single channel (99) and requires viewers to use a complicated menu
system to watch their desired PEG channel.

Historically, cable operators have provided PEG channels, in the same manner as local commercial channels, to all subscribers, and without any additional charges. Recently this long-established practice has been abandoned by many cable providers who are now providing PEG in a less accessible, lower quality and more expensive manner to their subscribers. The clear intent of Congress under the Cable Act is to require that PEG be provided to all subscribers on the least expensive and most accessible tier of service, and that PEG channels be treated in the same manner as all other local commercial channels.

3. The CAP Act requires the FCC to study the effect of statewide franchising legislation on PEG and to report its findings to Congress. It also requires cable operators to continue to support PEG at the level required in each state franchising bill, or at the historical level of support they were required to
provide PEG prior to state franchising, whichever is greater.

4. The CAP Act clarifies that any provider using a wired system and using public rights-of-way to deliver their service are indeed subject to the rules under the Cable Act. The CAP Act amends the Cable Act to make it technology neutral, so that any provider offering cable service, through a wired system using public rights-of-way are subject to all rules under the Cable Act. Some providers, for example, those using Internet Protocol, have argued that they are not a cable service and therefore are not subject to the provisions of the Cable Act.

SEATOA would like to encourage all of its members to ask your representatives to support the CAP Act and to become co-sponsors of the legislation. Currently there are 13 co-sponsors, but strong bi-partisan support would be the most effective means of getting this legislation passed. Please contact our sister organization – the Alliance for Community Media at www.alliancecm.org for additional details regarding the CAP Act – as well as sample letters to send to your Congressional representatives. And be sure to let SEATOA know at seatoa@carolina.rr.com if you have successfully secured Congressional support for the bill.

P-E-G Programming Issues Update: Coming soon.


		P-E-G Issues
Home SEATOA Bylaws Join SEATOA Members Conference Executive Committee NATOA P-E-G Issues Policy Issues Contact Us Links		SEATOA Supports Public – Educational – Government (P-E-G) Access Channels SEATOA believes our local Public, Education and Government (PEG) cable access channels serve critical community purposes, such as life-time learning, worker training, conveying emergency information, and keeping the community in touch with itself, its educational institutions and its elected officials. New state cable laws are slowly dismantling these channels, by closing off funding and failing to penalize cable operators who refuse to provide required PEG channels, or who are illegally removing these channels from the federally-mandated lowest priced, basic tier of cable services. Some companies are designing their video network to degrade the quality of PEG channels via a web-like, sub-menu format. SEATOA feels Federal intervention is necessary to arrest this loss of an important community resource, a resource allocated to local communities under federal law - the 1984 Cable Act. P-E-G Legislative Issues Update: HELP PASS THE FEDERAL COMMUNITY ACCESS PRESERVATION ACT SEATOA believes passage of the Community Access Preservation (CAP) Act is vital – for the reasons stated below – and encourages you to contact your federal representatives to ask them to both co-sponsor the bill and vote in favor of its passage. Although the CAP Act does not address all issues regarding PEG, it is an excellent first step in insuring the long-term health and viability of PEG. Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) recently introduced the CAP Act to address some of the most pressing issues facing PEG channels as a result of the passage of statewide cable franchising bills in more than 20 states and unfavorable rulings regarding PEG by the FCC. The CAP Act - while it does not resolve all of the issues effecting communities’ abilities to continue to provide vital PEG services to their citizens - does address four key areas of importance. 1. The CAP Act would amend the Cable Act to insure that PEG support fees could be used for any PEG purpose. The bill addresses the FCC's ruling that PEG support negotiated in cable franchises - in addition to the franchise fee permitted under the Cable Act of 1984 – may only be used for facilities and equipment and not for PEG operations. This ruling has crippled the ability of many PEG operators, who depend on negotiated support in local franchises, to continue to provide valuable PEG services to their communities. 2. The CAP Act reaffirms Congressional intent to provide PEG on the lowest cable tier and requires cable providers to treat PEG channels in the same manner as all other local commercial channels. Many cable providers are now discriminating against PEG channels in the manner in which these channels are provided and in the placement of these channels on their systems. With the emergence of digital and internet technologies, cable providers have attempted to relegate PEG to the outer reaches of their digital tiers This is vividly illustrated by Comcast's decision to move PEG channels in Michigan to the 900 series of channels – and by AT&T's introduction of their U-Verse system which bundles all PEG channels in a given region onto one single channel (99) and requires viewers to use a complicated menu system to watch their desired PEG channel. Historically, cable operators have provided PEG channels, in the same manner as local commercial channels, to all subscribers, and without any additional charges. Recently this long-established practice has been abandoned by many cable providers who are now providing PEG in a less accessible, lower quality and more expensive manner to their subscribers. The clear intent of Congress under the Cable Act is to require that PEG be provided to all subscribers on the least expensive and most accessible tier of service, and that PEG channels be treated in the same manner as all other local commercial channels. 3. The CAP Act requires the FCC to study the effect of statewide franchising legislation on PEG and to report its findings to Congress. It also requires cable operators to continue to support PEG at the level required in each state franchising bill, or at the historical level of support they were required to provide PEG prior to state franchising, whichever is greater. 4. The CAP Act clarifies that any provider using a wired system and using public rights-of-way to deliver their service are indeed subject to the rules under the Cable Act. The CAP Act amends the Cable Act to make it technology neutral, so that any provider offering cable service, through a wired system using public rights-of-way are subject to all rules under the Cable Act. Some providers, for example, those using Internet Protocol, have argued that they are not a cable service and therefore are not subject to the provisions of the Cable Act. SEATOA would like to encourage all of its members to ask your representatives to support the CAP Act and to become co-sponsors of the legislation. Currently there are 13 co-sponsors, but strong bi-partisan support would be the most effective means of getting this legislation passed. Please contact our sister organization – the Alliance for Community Media at www.alliancecm.org for additional details regarding the CAP Act – as well as sample letters to send to your Congressional representatives. And be sure to let SEATOA know at seatoa@carolina.rr.com if you have successfully secured Congressional support for the bill. P-E-G Programming Issues Update: Coming soon.