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Democracy Now! Media Action Alert - Help Save Public Access TV

DEADLINE FOR THIS ACTION IS THE END OF THE DAY, Mon Feb 13, 2006:
File a comment with the FCC

Cable TV and the major telecom companies, while competing for your business, are united in trying to do away with local public access television and the right of cities and towns to negotiate fair deals with these companies. These multi-year deals, called franchises, are the basis of the PEG system - the Public, Educational and Government channels that these cable/telecom companies must provide to cities where they do business.

Companies like Verizon, AT&T (formerly SBC Global), Comcast and Time Warner hope to hike their profits while at the same time doing away with any public interest or pubic access obligations to the cities and towns where the operate.

Choose a link below and follow the simple instructions - the deadline for comments is end of day Monday February 13!

An important FCC proceeding is underway that could well impact the future for community access media.

Please take a few moments now and make public comments - and ask every supporter you know to please join our cause.

Keep Community Media Local!

For cable access organizations, producers and access supporters there are three excellent sites available to choose from:

Access organizations = http://www.alliancecm.org

Access producers & friends = http://mnn.org/saveaccess/nprmhowto.html

General public & other allies = http://www.freepress.net/fcc/comment.php?d=05-311


And for inspiration, here's word from Jeff Chester at Center for Digital Democracy standing up and speaking out!


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ABOUT DEMOCRACY NOW!
Democracy Now! airs on over 350 radio and TV stations, including Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations; on public access, PBS, satellite TV stations (DISH network: Free Speech TV ch. 9415 and Link TV ch. 9410; DIRECTV: Link TV ch. 375); on the World Radio Network's European Service and on the Community Broacasting
Association of Australia service; as a "podcast", automatically downloaded to your computer or portable audio player; and streams live M-F at 8am EST at www.democracynow.org
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You can also view/listen/read all Democracy Now! shows online:
www.democracynow.org
To bring Democracy Now! to your community, go to:
http://www.democracynow.org/bringDNtoyou.html

posted by Annamarie at 6:50 PM