The word that we continue to get from Madison is that all eyes are on the budget and no one will be thinking about AB207/SB107 (the McGomery/Plale Bill) until the budget passes. That’s good news and bad news for those of use who see the current bill as being weak in the area of creating competition for cable providers and creating jobs (its ostensive purposes) and at the same time being bad for cable consumers, local governments and especially, local cable access TV channels like CTV.  It’s good news because we have more time to tell legislators about the problems with the bill, but bad news because since legislators are primarily concerned about the budget, we can’t be sure we have their full attention.
 The state organization of access stations is the WAPC. Recently we had our fall conference in Madison and spent some time at the Capitol talking to legislators and aids about the bill. Our message was that because the currently proposed bill doesn’t make strong requirements of new providers entering the cable industry to either serve entire communities, to meet current consumer protection standard or provide low-cost basic service to subscribers, it will likely not result in lower prices for consumers or a greater number of better paying jobs in the communication industry.
 In addition, phone companies that want to get into the cable business will never be required to serve all their customers. They’ll be able to pick only the most lucrative neighborhoods. AT&T can proceed with plans to install a hobbled-together technology that will include large obtrusive boxes on boulevards and other city rights of way without consulting local governments. State franchise permits to phone companies would last forever so there would be no periodic evaluation of companies’ service and responsibility.
 Also, the bill removes the right of local communities to collect fees designated to fund local public, education and government community channels from cable providers. All other cable channels are funded in this way. It removes responsibility from “video service” (cable) providers to provide equipment needed to carry access channel, and to carry the channels at the same technical standards as other channels.
 We pointed out that the legislation mirrors bills that have been introduced in other state where AT&T wants to compete with cable. But in neighboring Illinois, legislators met with cable and telephone companies along with local government, consumer advocates and local community channel providers to craft a bill that provides better competition, preserves local channels, protects consumers and safeguards the rights of local government. AT&T supported the Illinois legislation when they were done. Win, win, win, win, win. We asked legislators not to support the current bill but to put forward a substitute using the Illinois experience as a model.
 Your support is needed to bring this kind of change to the Wisconsin bill.  The more people that contact their legislators to support this sensible solution, the more likely they will take the trouble to carefully study the issue and make the right decision.
 To put it in the simplest of terms, "...The Mayor grabbed a tom-tom.  He started to smack it.  And, all over Who-ville, they whooped up a racket.  They rattled tin kettles!  They beat on brass pans, On garbage pail tops and old cranberry cans!
 Great gusts of loud racket rang high through the air.  They rattled and shook the whole sky!  And the Mayor Called up through the howling mad hullabaloo:  "Hey, Horton!  How's this?  Is our sound coming through?"  And Horton called back, "I can hear you just fine.  But the kangaroos' ears aren't as strong, quite as mine.  They don't hear a thing!” Are you sure every Who down in Who-ville is working? Quick!  Look through your town!  Is there anyone shirking?" (Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Suess)
 
 Joel Desprez – Executive Director
 
 CTV gets AnnMarie grant.
 
 The AnnMarie Foundation of the Phillips Plastics Corporation has awarded Community Television a grant of $2000 to assist in the purchase of playback equipment. CTV has put the money toward the purchase of a Leightronix Nexus Video Server/System Controller which will modernize the master control we use to play programming on the Access Channels  It will also improve the quality of audio and video on  the channels.
 
 
 Joel Desprez is the Executive Director
 Dick Purves is the Operations Manager		  

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