NATOA Calls on FCC to Act on Pending PEG Petitions
Earlier today, at an
Appropriations oversight hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Jose Serrano (D-NY) called
on FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to take actions to protect Public,
Educational, and Government (PEG) channels that are currently being harmed by
industry actions. Chairman Serrano specifically highlighted channel
slamming activities and pushing PEG channels into a maze of drop-down menus as
actions that are threatening to diminish or extinguish the benefits that PEG
channels provide our nation’s communities. NATOA Acting Executive
Director Tonya Rideout stated that
“Chairman Serrano’s comments today – and his everyday efforts on behalf of PEG
channels – are welcome and much needed. On behalf of NATOA I thank him
for his leadership and dedication to this critical issue. NATOA also
thanks Chairman Genachowski for his promise to take actions to protect PEG
channels and his recognition of the dangers facing PEG channels today. We
believe that the most prudent way for the FCC to follow through on Chairman
Genachowski’s promise would be to grant the Alliance for Community Media’s
(ACM’s) petition challenging AT&T’s ‘Channel 99’ maze of menus. We
look forward to working with Chairman Serrano and Chairman Genachowski to move
forward on this petition.”
