Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) continues to be the vehicle for thousands of community based groups and individuals to inform and express their viewpoints on different issues.

As the demand for mass global communication and alternative media increases there is a bigger need for communities of color and low-income communities to be able to keep up and be part of the information highway. Now more than ever, it is important to defend community media and Public, Educational and Governmental Access Centers (PEG) which allow us to have a voice in the media landscape. Nationally, there are 1.2 million volunteers and 250,000 community organizations that create programming for PEG Access channels – together they produce 20,000 hours of new and local program a week, more than all the major networks combined.

In the last fifteen months, MNN has been working with coalitions, such as Saveaccess.org in an effort to bring awareness to the public about what the phone companies are doing to take away local control PEG Access Centers in cities and localities through federal and statewide franchise legislation. The major forces behind this overhaul legislation are the rapid changes and convergence of digital technologies with the introduction of broadband Internet service —a service that will blur the traditional boundaries between cable TV, phone service and the Internet. Essentially, phone companies do not want to pay local franchise fees for using the “public-rights-of-way”. The legislation also doesn’t have “build-out” requirements which would allow phone companies to “redline” low-income and rural communities, denying broadband service to these communities and furthering the digital divide. Local franchise fees make PEG Access possible, but the phone companies don’t want to be accountable to our local communities and local government. Free speech, local control and PEG Access have been under attack as phone companies try to pass overhaul legislation that would further de-regulate the media industry, increase corporate mergers of media giants like AT&T and Bellsouth and destroy our local public interest media.

At the end of the 2006, the legislation has stalled in Washington, and now the phone companies are now trying to pass “statewide” franchises. In more than a dozen states statewide franchise legislation have been adopted or proposed, having the same negative impact on Public Access TV. And now in another devastating blow to PEG Access, it looks like the FCC has taken a favorable position to the telcos, supporting the elimination of local franchises and local control of PEG Access.

Local franchises: Why are they important for Public Access TV?

It is also critical for New Yorkers to be aware of the important role of that PEG Access plays in our media democracy and how Public Access TV centers operate through the local franchise renewal process.There are nine cable franchises in the City covering all five boroughs. All cable franchises in the City are owned and controlled by either Time Warner Cable (TWC) or Cablevision. These franchises agreements all expire in 2008.

A local franchise is an agreement between a city, town, or region and a telecommunication company. It basically says that in return for running their cables on streets and publicly owned property (called the Public-Rights-Of-Way) a telecommunications company must pay rent and agree to certain local stipulations—such as responding to consumer complaints, serving all people who request service (Universal Service), providing channel space and resources for Community Access TV, and supporting the educational Institutional Network (I-Net). Local franchises ensure that telecommunications companies pay fair compensation to local communities for using the publicly owned infrastructure—they are an important way of making sure these huge corporations are responsive to local needs and consumer complaints—and the local franchising system is based on the principal that local communities should be able to govern themselves.

MNN is responsible for administering the Public Access cable television services in Manhattan. MNN purpose is to ensure the ability of Manhattan residents to exercise their First Amendment rights through the medium of cable television and to create opportunities for mutual communication, education, artistic expression and other noncommercial uses of video facilities on an open, uncensored and equitable basis. In providing services, MNN seeks to involve the diverse racial, ethnic and geographic communities of Manhattan in the electronic communication of their varied interests, needs, concerns and identities. MNN, the Public Access Television in Manhattan is financially supported by Time Warner Cable and RCN Cable, under a franchise agreement with the City of New York. MNN facilities and services are used by thousands of individuals who work hard for the opportunity of bringing information, education and entertainment to other New Yorkers. You would never see such a diverse array of local programming in the corporate media.

In September 2006, the New York City Council unanimously voted to approve an authorizing resolution to negotiate new franchise agreements with cable/video companies. All cable franchise holders are subject to comparable obligations and requirements. Essentially, all video service providers, including phone companies , would have to obey by the same provisions requiring capacity and support for Public Access TV through local franchises.

MNN’s Next Steps: We Need Your Participation to Ensure the Future of Public Access TV!

MNN is currently working to make sure we have a successful franchise renewal agreement in 2008 that will protect and expand our PEG Access TV needs, and ensure access to cutting edge technology for all Manhattan residents.

One major step in this franchise renewal process is undergoing a Community Needs Assessment. This involves community planning meetings with MNN’s stakeholders, community residents, and community based organizations, elected officials, city agencies, and Manhattan residents to gather feedback and information that will help MNN provide services to meet the PEG Access, technology and communications needs of Manhattan residents and groups - now and in the future. MNN’s goal is to make sure our 2008 renewal franchise agreement guarantees that communities remain on the cutting-edge of new technologies and are included in this digital age of information. Our new franchise negotiations aim to protect current and future funding for PEG Access channels and their facilities.

We will keep you posted on pending federal and New York State legislation that could undermine funding and local control of Public Access TV. All citizens and community organizations have a key role to play in our franchise renewal process and in the fight against anti-Access legislation. We will be calling on your participation in this process in the coming weeks and months. We hope you will be able to attend the Community Planning Meetings to evaluate the communication and Public Access TV needs of Manhattan residents and organizations during March 2007. Please email franchise08@mnn.org if you are interested.