Cable Competition Bill

Yesterday, the Joint Finance Committee voted 13-3 in favor of the so-called cable competition bill (AB207/SB107). Unfortunately, Wisconsin is on path to pass a bill that is more friendly to AT&T than us as consumers. It also threatens funding for PEG stations such as OCAT.

In response, I sent a letter to the members of the JFC asking the legislators why Wisconsin citizens and communities deserve less than our neighbors in Illinois? I also urged them and their colleagues to support a bill that protects Wisconsin public access television and the rights of Wisconsin consumers. Now, I urge you to do the same.

Contact Senator Roessler and Representatives Hintz and Owens and ask them to support OCAT and Wisconsin consumers by supporting an "Illinois version" of the bill in Wisconsin.

For more information, check out the Save Access Wisconsin Web site.

-Bryan

UPDATE: (Courtesy of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign)

"For the nearly four months that the state budget stalemate dragged on, we saw the Legislature at its worst. We are seeing it again with the mad rush to pass AT&T's cable TV bill. When you'd think our elected officials would insist that AT&T give Wisconsin a cable deal at least as good as the company agreed to in Illinois, lawmakers here seem to have been rendered blind, deaf and dumb by AT&T's public relations and lobbying blitz."

"A front group for the company, TV4Us, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV ads promoting AT&T's position. The company has spent more than $200,000 on lobbying at the Capitol so far this session, and has given current legislators and the governor more than $352,000 in campaign contributions including over $28,000 in the first half of the year while the bill was being prepared for introduction and sailed through the Assembly."

"Then just a few days ago, AT&T and its allies released a poll aimed at sealing the deal in the Senate. After you read the poll results, read a little about the polling firm, which prides itself on shaping public opinion rather than measuring it."

"AT&T's bill passed the Assembly on a 66-28 vote in early May and then was just approved by the Joint Finance Committee 13-3 on Wednesday. It has been scheduled for a vote in the full Senate next Thursday. So far, lawmakers haven't been willing to do what even some of the proposal's original backers have been doing . . . namely reading the bill's fine print and looking at AT&T's track record on keeping past promises. That's leading to second thoughts. To see what we mean, go here and here."