Mick Givens prepares to leave Rice Lake Community Television

After many years at the helm, Mick Givens, Director of Rice Lake Community Television is retiring sometime this spring. The City of Rice Lake is considering candidates who applied by January 20, 2012.  Mick's association with the Wisconsin Association of PEG Channels goes back to its very beginning.  At various times Mick has served as President and Secretary of the Board, most recently just last year. 

Mick's command of regulatory and legislative issues has made him a truly valuable asset to his community and this organization.  Hopefully, Mick will stay active on the Public Policy Committee as an Emeritus Member of WCM! 

Congressional report recognizes PEG channels are threatened

A report released on October 7 by the Congressional Research Service recognizes PEG channels as "the primary vehicle  for fostering in cable systems the long-standing U.S. media policy goal of localism."  The report concludes that today "the environment for public, educational, and governmental (PEG) cable channels is being roiled by public policy and budgetary changes at the federal, state, and local levels and by technological changes in cable networks.  More than 100 PEG access centers -- which provide community groups and individuals free access to video production facilities and equipment, training, and programming time -- have closed since 2005, and many more will close when provisions in recently enacted state laws that eliminate requirements for cable companies to provide funding support take effect."

In addition to state franchising laws like Wisconsin's that are releasing cable companies from providing channels and funding them, the report lists other damaging changes. 

  • Technological changes allow video providers like AT&T to carry PEG channels in a manner that makes it "more difficult  for subscriber...to access the PEG channels."  
  • Traditional cable operators "have begun to offer PEG channels in a fashion that may reduce consumer access to, and the quality of, those channels and may raise consumer costs to obtain PEG channels. 
  • DVR's are unable to record access channel content.  
  • Local jurisdictions are facing budget deficits, making it more difficult to allocate funding to these channels.
  • The FCC has ruled that amounts collected from cable operators by local governments above franchise fees (the PEG fees) could only be used to fund narrowly defined capital expenses.  (In Wisconsin, local governments cannot collect PEG fees, due to the 2007 state franchise law.)

The report notes that the CAP Act, sponsored by Representative Tammy Baldwin (D - WI) and Representative Steve LaTourette (R - OH), would reinstate funding for community television in states that have passed state franchise laws (like Wisconsin).  The CAP Act would also forbid video providers from charging subscribers more than a base rate to receive PEG channels.

The report notes that the cable industry opposes the CAP Act, "claiming it would raise costs and rates and place cable operators at a competitive disadvantage with satellite operators."

The report relies on research obtained from a variety of sources, including the Alliance for Community Media, American Community Television, the Alliance for Communications Democracy, and the Benton Foundation.

Read the full report entitled, Public Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access Cable Television Channels:  Issues for Congress.