Thursday, October 2, 2008

Death of Public Access Makes National News!

Thanks to Leslie Dutton and David Hernandez for this:
Please do not be confused by believing this is a debate over technology. This is about our civil rights and a public asset which has enabled us to have more of a voice, free of Governmental censorship. A Public Access Channel is not the same as a Government Access Channel. It is clear the city is moving towards placing our public asset and free speech under their control. That is not a comprise, that is an attack on Free Speech.
Please take this issue your organization and have them take a position in support of keeping the current system in place until an alternative is set up. The rights of all Los Angeles residents must be protected and it looks like it is up to us to do it!
David Hernandez, President
Los Angeles Public Access Coalition

Municipal Control of channels & content threatens public voice

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Full Disclosure Network(R) is releasing an eight minute video Call to Action entitled "Death of Public Cable Channels?" to alert the public and cable subscribers nationwide to watch out for legislation enacted into law in California known as DIVCA (Digital Infrastructure Video Competition Act of 2006) which has authorized local governments to take over the operations and content control of the 20 year old "public access" cable television system. The legislation was sponsored by Southern California legislators Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Lloyd Levine.

In 1984 the bi-partisan Federal Communications Act mandated the public access to cable channels to counter balance the dominance of government-funded cable channels.

The video debate and struggle to save public cable channels is currently taking place in Los Angeles, in the heart of the television media world and promises to set the agenda for other states and major cities where similar legislation is proposed and or enacted, according to David Hernandez, Chamber of Commerce Executive.

The Full Disclosure Network(R) video features Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, a former Carter White House official, who served as a Western Regional cable executive and public affairs television show host for Century Cable, Adelphia and Time Warner Cable companies in the Southern California area for over 20 years.

David Hernandez questions the City plan for cable operators to pay a franchise fee in lieu of providing public channels and studios. Councilman Rosendahl confirms the City is poised let the public cable channels go dark saying "my only suggestion is that somehow Channel 36, since we control channel placement, should get involved in a Public Access block of time."

David Hernandez, long time civic activist has set up a blog at URL: http://savepublicaccess.wordpress.com for the Los Angeles Public Access users to promote discussion and debate on how to save the public cable channel system. Hernandez discusses the City's failure to prevent the public channels going dark after December 2008.

The Full Disclosure Network(R) is a public affairs cable television show, billed as "the news behind the news" since 1992 and is featured on 47 cable systems throughout California and some eastern states. The programs are produced by Leslie Dutton and T. J. Johnston and are a twice nominated, Emmy Award winning program. http://www.fulldisclosure.net

Website: http://www.fulldisclosure.net/

ZumaTimes.com
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