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Access Under Attack: Some Examples from the Field

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The Decline of Public Access and Neo-Liberal Media Regimes

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Abstract

This chapter details the wave of attacks on PEG, which began to increase after the 1996 communications act, and the Denver decision on obscene programming, and which stepped up around the year 2000. These include funding cuts, attempts to censor programs, removal of operators, reductions of or commercialization of services, and elimination of access channels with retention of government access channels. These are interpreted as the result of neoliberal governance, which has less respect for public goods and public debate, and the effects of the artificial austerity created by neoliberal fiscal policies. In addition, the declining influence of lobbying groups like the Community Media Association and changing philosophies at the state and the federal level are discussed. In the most recent FCC survey of information needs, PEG channels are little more than information services and their public forum status is practically eliminated.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Robert Reich, “Austerity 101: The Three Reasons Deficit Hawks Are Wrong,” Social Europe October 19, 2015 https://www.socialeurope.eu/austerity-101-the-three-reasons-deficit-hawks-are-wrong.

  2. 2.

    Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, New York: Touchstone 2001.

  3. 3.

    Claus Offe, “Participatory Inequality in the Austerity State: A Supply-Side Approach,” Working Paper der DFG-KollegforscherInnengruppe Postwachstumsgesellschaften, Nr. 1/2014, Jena 2014.

  4. 4.

    “Cities Move to Exercise Greater Control Over Public Access Channels,” News Media and Law Summer vol 24 no 3 2000.

  5. 5.

    “Cities Move to Exercise Greater Control”.

  6. 6.

    Mike Monson, “City Staff Against Creation of New Public Access Channel,” The News Gazette May 10, 2006.

  7. 7.

    http://mountainx.com/news/community-news/062310buncombe_comissioners_taking_them_down_a_peg/.

  8. 8.

    Samiha Khanna, “Durham to Pay for Public Access Channel,” News and Observer March 4, 2008 http://saveaccess.org.

  9. 9.

    American Community Television “An Industry Wide Effort”.

  10. 10.

    American Community Television “An Industry Wide Effort,” op. cit.

  11. 11.

    Erik K. Arnold, “The Cable Access TV Crisis,” August 7, 2011 Alternet http://www.alternet.org/story/151905/the_cable_tv_access_crisis.

  12. 12.

    Sarah Meehan, “Baltimore’s Public Access Channel Tuning into Charm TV,” Baltimore Business Journal March 25, 2014 https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2014/03/27/baltimores-public-access-channel-turning-into.html.

  13. 13.

    David Zurawik and Yvonne Wenger, “City’s Cable-Access Relaunches with HGTV-Style Fare, Increased Budget,” Baltimore Sun June 23, 2014.

  14. 14.

    David Zurawik, “Mayor’s Call to ‘Change the Narrative’ is Not the Answer to Baltimore’s Perception Problems,” Baltimore Sun January 4, 2018 http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bs-fe-zontv-mayor-narrative-20180103-story.html.

  15. 15.

    Afefe Tyeihimba, “Fade to Black: With no Money and Few Friends in Haigh Places, Baltimore’s Public Access Channel Faces Cancellation,” Baltimore City Paper December 3, 2001.

  16. 16.

    Shea Andersen and Dennis Domrzalski, “Community Access Television Stations’ Budgets in Jeopardy,” Albuquerque Business First January 13, 2002 https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2002/01/14/story2.html.

  17. 17.

    Eric S. Mollberg, “Public TV Suffering from Telecom ‘Reform’ Bill,” Journal Gazette May 5, 2008 http://www.journagazette.net.

  18. 18.

    “City Officials Tell Cox to Honor Their Contract but They Were Only Fooling,” Stand Up for Omaha Website http://standupforomaha.org accessed 5/10/2007.

  19. 19.

    “The Devilish Details in TN Cable Franchise Legislation”.

  20. 20.

    Tim Rogers, “Dallas Just Lost Its Public Access TV,” Front Burner October 6, 2009 https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2009/10/dallas-just-lost-its-public-access-tv/.

  21. 21.

    See the Frequently Asked Questions at the LA36 website http://www.la36.org/docs/FAQ.pdf.

  22. 22.

    Vicki Kratzmm “Cieslewicz Claims WYOU Public-Access Channel Could Lose Its City Life Support,” Isthmus September 25, 2008 https://isthmus.com/news/news/cieslewicz-takes-aim-at-wyou/.

  23. 23.

    Fiona Morgan, “Chapel Hill’s The Peoples Channel Expands to Durham,” Indy Week May 27, 2009 https://indyweek.com/news/northcarolina/chapel-hill-s-peoples-channel-expands-durham/.

  24. 24.

    Associated Press, “Oregon Public Access Loses Government Funding,” September 3, 2002.

  25. 25.

    Jennifer L. Williston, “City Leaders Battle Broadcasters Over-Regulation of Public Access,” News Media and Law Summer 2002: 26. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press May 8, 2002 “Public Access Channel Cited for Censorship Practices,” https://www.rcfp.org/public-access-channel-cited-censorship-practices.

  26. 26.

    Associated Press, “Public Access TV Returns to Maine Town—Without the Public,” August 10, 2002.

  27. 27.

    Steve McMahon, “Telecommunications Task Force Lessons,” Community Media Review vol 28 no 4 2005: 24–25.

  28. 28.

    Sean McLaughlin, “The Changing Regulatory and Legislative Framework: From Community Investment to Corporate Profiteering,” Community Media Review vol 28 no 4 2005: 22.

  29. 29.

    “Channel 95: Once a Force in the Court of Public Opinion, the Most Accessible Television Station in Richmond is Struggling. But Does Anyone Care?,” Melissa Scott Sinclair Style Weekly April 3, 2012 http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/station-break/Content?oid=1693883.

  30. 30.

    “Massachusetts Woman’s Cable Show Must Go on,” Associated Press 03/06/02 accessed 05/10/2007 freedomforum.org.

  31. 31.

    “Judge Orders Reinstatement of Public Access Show,” MultiChannel Newswire January 26, 2007.

  32. 32.

    “ACLU of Southern California ACLU/SC Sues to Protect Public-Access TV in Los Alamitos,” February 7, 2007 https://www.aclusocal.org/en/news/aclusc-sues-protect-public-access-tv-los-alamitos.

  33. 33.

    Jennifer L. Williston, “County Leaders Battle Broadcasters Over-Regulation of Public Access,” The News Media and the Law Summer 2002 vol 23 no 6: 23.

  34. 34.

    Joseph C. Sommer, “Censorship Was the Real Reason Columbus City Officials Ended Public Access,” Free Press November 20, 2014.

  35. 35.

    “Cities Move to Exercise Greater Control over Public Access”.

  36. 36.

    “ACLU of Michigan Criticizes Battle Creek Mayor for Cutting Public Opinion from Meeting Broadcasts,” 9/4/2001 accessed 5/10/2007.

  37. 37.

    CatX, “Cable Access Producers Unwilling to be Herded into Free Speech Zone,” Portland Independent Media Center October 25, 2004.

  38. 38.

    Victoria E. Freile, “Greece Gets Another Forum,” Democrat and Chronicle March 27, 2007. Melissa Lang “Riled You’re on Camera Again” Greece Post.

  39. 39.

    Mark Scheer, “LCTV: Christy out as Call-in Show is Canceled,” Niagara Gazette Mach 13, 2008 https://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/local_news/lctv-christy-out-as-call-in-show-is-cancelled/article_de1697d4-8d67-559f-aa62-465bba288aaf.html.

    Mark Scheer, “CHRISTY’S SHOW: Residents Accuse County GOP of Pulling Plug,” Lockport Journal https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/christy-s-show-residents-accuse-county-gop-of-pulling-plug/article_1d18db32-e167-53cf-ac64-fb827952bcb3.html.

    Mike Hudson, “Thin-Skinned Republican Bigwigs Order Stop to Popular TV Program,” Niagara Falls Reporter March 18, 2008 http://niagarafallsreporter.com/christy3.18.08.html.

  40. 40.

    Lee Drutman, The Business of America is Lobbying How Corporations Became Politicized and Politics Became More Corporate, New York: Oxford University Press 2017.

  41. 41.

    See also Lee Drutman, “How Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy,” The Atlantic April 20, 2015 https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/how-corporate-lobbyists-conquered-american-democracy/390822/.

  42. 42.

    The CAP act, http://acommunitytv.org/cap-act/.

  43. 43.

    Basic information on the CAP act can be found at the ACM website http://www.allcommunitymedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/CommunityAccessPreservation_FAQ1.pdf.

  44. 44.

    Alliance for Community Media (ACM) Position on the Community Access Preservation Act (CAP): A Way Forward, http://www.allcommunitymedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/ACM-Public-Policy-Letter-11-18-2013.pdf.

  45. 45.

    A sampling of these articles include Greg Epher Woods, “Fundraising Auctions: From Access to Impact Financial Responsibility,” Community Media Review (CMR) vol 26 no 1 Spring 2002; Ron Cooper, “Cultivating Funding Resources,” CMR vol 20 no 1 1997: 13; R. Vincent Hamilton “Earned Income Strategies” CMR vol 20 no 1 1997: 12; Debra Rogers, “Pragmatic Strategies Solutions and Steps to Keep Access Thriving” CMR vol 30 no 1 Fall 2007: 44.

  46. 46.

    That was our experience in applying for numerous grants for public access over the years.

  47. 47.

    Knight Commission, Informing Communities Sustaining Democracy in a Digital Age, Washington: Aspen Institute 2009.

  48. 48.

    Steven Waldman, The Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Digital Age, FCC 2011 https://www.fcc.gov/general/information-needs-communities.

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  1. Rochester, NY, USA

    Brian Caterino

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Caterino, B. (2020). Access Under Attack: Some Examples from the Field. In: The Decline of Public Access and Neo-Liberal Media Regimes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39403-5_6

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