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from: Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter

Posted April 12, 2007

Conspiracy' threatens local sports cable casts City officials fear loss of revenue, programming

By Charlie Mathews
Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — Lincoln High School football and basketball games, city council and school board meetings might disappear from Comcast cable if a proposal in the state Legislature passes, according to Manitowoc mayor Kevin Crawford.

from: OCAT

State Video Franchising Impact on Oshkosh Community Access Television (OCAT)

Most concerning to OCAT is that the current language in these bills specifically prohibit municipalities from requiring video service providers to provide funds, services, programming, facilities or equipment in support of PEG channels. Without specific language preserving our current PEG funding, this bill will severely impact, if not eliminate the OCAT operation. Over a nine-year period (the balance of our current franchise agreement with Time Warner Cable) it is estimated these bills will have a total financial impact on Oshkosh of anywhere between $2.8M-$3.4M from lost revenue and increased costs. Oshkosh City Attorney Warren Kraft summarizes the major problems with these bills from a municipal viewpoint in his March 23, 2007 Memo. A Wisconsin Association of PEG Channels (WAPC) study estimates that in one year alone these bills will have a negative impact of at least $5M per year collectively on Wisconsin PEG faculties and a $50M impact over a 10 year period. The major talking points of AB 207/SB 107 can be found in WAPC Executive Director Mary Cardona's April 3 Memo.

from: On Milwaukee

Video and cable debate heats up in Madison

By jfoust
Community Blogger

April 2, 2007

On March 27, 2007, a joint hearing took place at the Capitol to discuss a proposed "Video Competition" bill AB-207/SB-107. The hearing room overflowed with citizens deeply concerned about the threats posed by this bill. Most were associated with small-town "public access-governmental-educational" (PEG) channels. The proponents of the bill were associated with AT&T, their lobbyists, large business organizations like WMC, or the unions of workers who'd get the jobs associated with new video build-outs.

from: Hudson Star-Observer

Cable access channels threatened by proposed legislation, leaders say

Randy Hanson Hudson Star-Observer
Published Friday, April 06, 2007

Hudson/North Hudson Community Access Television has made great strides in the quality and quantity of its programming in recent years, its leaders say. But now all of that progress is threatened by proposed legislation that would reduce funding for local cable access channels and increase their costs.

from: Holmen Courier

Cable bill, hot wired for quick passage, leaves municipal leaders cold

By JO ANNE KILLEEN | Staff writer
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To Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, a proposed cable television bill on the fast-track to passage will merely align state laws with technology and increase competition for cable services.

from: The Capital Times

State Reps Rolling In At&t Cash

Dollars Go To Backers Of Controversial Bill

The Capital Times :: METRO :: C1
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Judith Davidoff The Capital Times

AT&T officials significantly increased their donations to the author of a controversial video licensing bill the year the proposal was being developed, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

from: Capital Times

Robin Stearns: Loss of public access TV not worth deregulation

By Robin Stearns. April 5, 2007

I attended the March 27 hearing on "deregulating" cable TV in Wisconsin. I had been asked to speak in defense of public access television. This so-called video competition bill will require public, educational and government stations to air 12 hours of programming per day, 80 percent of which must be locally produced and not rerun. This alone will destroy community access TV in Wisconsin.

from: On Milwaukee

Video and cable debate heats up in Madison

By jfoust
Published April 2, 2007 at 3:17 p.m.

On March 27, 2007, a joint hearing took place at the Capitol to discuss a proposed "Video Competition" bill AB-207/SB-107. The hearing room overflowed with citizens deeply concerned about the threats posed by this bill. Most were associated with small-town "public access-governmental-educational" (PEG) channels. The proponents of the bill were associated with AT&T, their lobbyists, large business organizations like WMC, or the unions of workers who'd get the jobs associated with new video build-outs.

from: Appleton Post-Crescent

Editorial: Cable TV bill isn't best deal for consumers

If competition means lower prices for cable TV services, a bill in the state Legislature could be a benefit to consumers.

But competition isn't the only thing this bill would allow — and that's why it wouldn't be a good deal in the end.

From: Wheeler News Service

Wisconsin Video Franchise Vote May Be Month Away

March 28, 2007

A bill to let phone companies offer cable-type TV and do away with locally-negotiated service and rate contracts will come up for a state Assembly vote in about a month. That’s what Speaker Mike Huebsch said after a nine-hour public hearing Tuesday.