The Alliance for Community Media is calling on all supporters of Community Media to call and write the FCC no later than Wednesday, December 13!. THIS ACTION IS OVER.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to issue a rule-making on video-franchising. This rule-making is the bureaucratic version of the national telecom laws we helped to defeat this past year. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. We cannot allow the FCC to do to us what some members of Congress were unable to do.

Part of what is being proposed:

* All PEG, I-Net and other in-kind services would be counted against 5% franchise fees. 5% would be an absolute cap. [THIS MEANS NO $$$ for Public Access.]
* Municipalities would have to approve new franchises for telephone companies within 90 days or allow them to operate without franchises.
* There would be no build-out requirements allowed whatsoever.
* New operators would not have to provide PEG channel capacity!

The Alliance expects a vote by December 20th.