The New York City Council voted on May 10th to "Keep it Local." The full Council unanimously called on the U.S. Congress NOT to pass the draconian new telecom bill that seeks to strip local municipalities of their authority over cable franchising and to limit funding and channel capacity for Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) stations.

This is a HUGE victory and sends a powerful message in support of community media and local democracy all across the country!!

The day started off in the Land Use Committee chaired by Melinda Katz of Queens. There, members voted 21-0 in support of Resolution 136 with two Staten Island Republicans abstaining. MNN then organized a very well-attended press conference on the steps of City Hall. Five City Council members from three Boroughs spoke as did reps from several community-based groups and other Public Access centers.
The full City Council then met later in the afternoon and voted out the resolution, by a vote of 50-0.