The "Save our PEGs Bill" has been introduced in Madison. There is a hearing scheduled for this Wednesday, 2/24, in the afternoon during the meeting of the Committee on Urban and Local Affairs at the state capitol. It will probably be televised on Wisconsin Eye.
Main provisions of AB-721 include: (from Save Access TV website)
- Allow communities to keep up to a 1% PEG Fee. (Many communities have already been collecting this for their channels, but it sunsets at the end of this year)
- Require video providers to pay for transmission equipment. (Without this, it can be cost-prohibitive to connect to U-verse, for example)
- Require video providers to carry PEG channels "without degradation." (PEG channels on Charter systems have been moved to channels that experience interference from the FM radio band)
- Require video providers to put our channels on the basic tier so ALL subscribers can view them. (Not digital-only)
- Require video providers to carry community television with the same "functionality" as basic broadcast stations. (On U-verse they must be accessed through menus)
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This is an example of unnecessary regulation
If PEG channels were so important to the MAJORITY of customers, they would have shown this with their wallets already. This PEG channel fanatacism comes from a vocal minority of customers.
Video providers should not have to bear the cost of providing these channels nor should they be forced to carry them any certain location. Cable companies are in the business of reselling pay TV and should be able to manage their network as business needs dictate.
I think there's tremendous
I think there's tremendous value and importance to PEG channels, and am glad AT&T U-Verse customers are getting access to Time Warner's access channel. Just because you don't watch them doesn't mean they shouldn't exist. By that thinking, ESPN and Big Ten Network shouldn't exist either, as I have no use for them personally. Yet, I end up paying for them every month so others can watch them. (Not that I'm trying to start up another a la carte debate, which is pointless.)