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Beyond the Notebook
<br />Access Community
<br />Faces Tough Times
<br />nys." DaM.s
<br />"The committee believes that it is integral to the
<br />concept of the we of the PEG (public, educational,
<br />goper mwintaU channel, that such we be free from
<br />any editorial control or supervision by the cable
<br />operator. "
<br />— House committee "Pon on subsection 611 of
<br />the Cable Act
<br />WASHINGTON —These am herd times for the
<br />publio-accem community. Despite explicit con-
<br />gressionei approval during the framing of the
<br />Cable Act, accem continuo to be threatened by
<br />First Amendment challenges — whether over the
<br />consent of the channel lie in the recent mettrovermy
<br />in Kansas City over the Ku Klux Klan) or about
<br />whether access channel. should even exist (as in
<br />pending federal mum challenges by cable com-
<br />panior in Cdifomie and Erie, PA).
<br />With regard to PEG channels, the Cable Act
<br />stipulator only that the local franchising
<br />authorities may require of their cable companies a
<br />+p„cifie number of channels, facilities and fund.
<br />ing. Unfortunately, however, only a fraction of
<br />franchising authorities include such requirements
<br />in their local agreement.
<br />According to the 198e Television & Cable
<br />Fambook, only 1.420 cable systems in the U.S.
<br />have public -seem channels. while only I,107 have
<br />duc.tim d channels and BAG have governmental.
<br />Them is IiW '.abs that Congress would be disap-
<br />ed by tl.,mA, figures, considering that there are
<br />s d,ODO cable systems in the country.
<br />As the recant annual conference of the Notional
<br />Federation of Incal Cable Programmes in
<br />Tampa, FL, sccew advaciss dwelled on how they
<br />mum continuously overcome adverse conditions,
<br />join because They want to contribute alternative
<br />programming a the public interest to the com-
<br />munity.
<br />Ten of 20 people attending an opening session
<br />for ¢rem corporation board members said they
<br />experienced compliance problems vying to enforce
<br />access peovisionw, in their contracts. They mid
<br />their .aces centers 6,mmntly (end off threw of
<br />their not -thrilled -.bout -it cable company bm.f.c-
<br />ows mwithhold or cut back funding end facilities
<br />Several conform, speak,,. maintained that
<br />what heppnwd in Kan.. City — the City Cwnril
<br />wad to turn the publio-.c,. channel into. lord-
<br />mytinaUtm rI,.rAwl under the cable m-p.ny's
<br />control, in an effort to keep out the KKK — w:
<br />an sb.rntinn. Sorb a scen.d. were unlikely to
<br />happen in mmmunitiee that have strong non-profit
<br />acreas corporationa. they maintained.
<br />Many of the attendees said they etrongly be-
<br />lieved that it war no accident that the thermal was
<br />turned over to the cable company; the action was
<br />part of a longstanding industry attack on access.
<br />Robert Nile., president of American
<br />Cable,hion, the Kane City eyatem that is owned
<br />by American Television A Communications Corp.
<br />and Tele-Communications Inc., told Multi-
<br />channel Ness tut week that the his company
<br />bad "little influence" over the City Council'. deci-
<br />sion end w.a 'Frankly surprised" by the final
<br />action. 'But we mode no cent we thought the
<br />change was a good idea from the perspective of our
<br />business to give us greater control," he added."
<br />In a few short week., the access .dvoealeit'
<br />greatest lean have already surfaced. A ,gel
<br />producer named laws Smith, who had con-
<br />tributed programs to the old public -access chan-
<br />nel, a few weeks ago was told by the cable system
<br />that her script for a documentary on an Indian
<br />rights activist needed more "bahmee."
<br />"It a in our best intermit that view..re balanced,
<br />fair and objective. Now that it'. our channel, we
<br />are responsible for programming content," Mr.
<br />Niles mid, un.pningelicallY. That don not .,an
<br />there is no room for nun-meinstre.m views, he
<br />said, but added that show views should be munter-
<br />d. B .ically, the situation comes down to the LO
<br />channel being the city'. choice, Mr. Niles main -
<br />wined.
<br />And the and thing is that he is right; the cable
<br />company can do whatever it went. with the pro-
<br />gramming, albeit the moniker "community chan-
<br />nel" is an obvious mfwosser. But one can only
<br />conclude that this is not what Congress had en-
<br />visioned Inn community access to cable slevisicn.
<br />Although the city wee initially well-intentioned
<br />— the abhorrent view. of the KKK —the
<br />keep hemmrshim apparently did not consider the full
<br />ramifications of is action. Legal expects agree that
<br />the American Civil tiberities Union, which will
<br />file snit won on behalf of the KKK, will have on
<br />easy time proving that this was a blatant caw of
<br />diwrimin.tioo lie unfortunate, but nevenhelem
<br />undisputable, that programs like Race & Reason
<br />arc protected by the First Amendment. too. No
<br />doubt, the City Council will be emb.s.ssed by the
<br />legal outcome.
<br />The best way fee a city to combo racist pro-
<br />grammim, is to 1st it be shown on the .ream
<br />eh.nnd and watch the community rally against
<br />the pn.psm with their own cotmsrprngremming
<br />Once the Klan and other geotrps of is ilk fe.liw
<br />ilia, their views are cot shared by the Feet of the
<br />community, they will V away — until 'hey target
<br />another tmoA,pening flare and find themselves
<br />again outnumbered and rebuked U
<br />Ile
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