NATOA Files Comments on PEG in the FCC Future of Media Proceeding
Today, NATOA filed
comments in the FCC’s Future of Media Proceeding. The Future of Media
project was undertaken by the FCC “to help ensure that all Americans have
access to vibrant, diverse sources of news and information that will enable
them to enrich their families, communities and democracy.”
In its comments, NATOA
addressed the problems facing PEG channels today, most notably: state franchise
legislation, the Commission’s Section 621 Report and Order, the delay in acting
on the pending PEG Petitions, and current industry actions, highlighting
especially AT&T’s improper treatment of PEG on its U-Verse system.
NATOA’s comments also address some specific questions asked by the FCC about
the state of PEG channels now and in the future including removing obstacles to
increase the effectiveness of PEG channels. NATOA also strongly rejects
any move to push PEG channels to an Internet-only distribution because so many
members of the community lack access to high-speed internet or the knowledge of
how to access PEG content online. Furthermore, such a move would deny PEG
channels access to the most common viewers for any program –
channel-surfers.
NATOA highlights the
value, importance, and uniqueness of PEG channels in filling a need in our
nation’s communities. We also discuss many of the ways in which the value
of PEG channels could be improved if some of the obstacles and threats were
removed.
NATOA hopes that the FCC
will evaluate this information and act on the pending PEG Petitions that would
help preserve PEG channels in the future.
The full text of NATOA’s filing is available here.