had the pleasure of speaking with an incredible group of leaders about the importance of public educational and governmental television also known as peg our cable access television from fallon the to framingham pittsfield to provincetown of boston is here was his bring field is here all the way down to the smallest communities in massachusetts everyone to talk about this threat to local cable access program  everyone here wants to make sure that everyone in their community out there for this is her and this was an opportunity for their voice to go because of what is going on at the federal communications commission in this era of media globalization and consolidation paid stations give viewers critical information about their communities and offer important platform for local residents massachusetts residents watch paid channels to monitor local city wholesale needs receive the latest news from nearby college campuses hear abo connect us to our communities and they enrich our lives every single day of the year last november when i hosted a congressional hearing in merrimack valley following the explosions that affected homes and businesses and larks and over and not and no it was the local cable access channels that stayed and then rebroadcast the hearings and all of the follow up that was going on in those three communities because they are local even though we have state wide media organizations they cover all three hundred and fifty one dollars communities these local cable access channels they'd cover the communities that they in fact are responsible for and they're the ones that people turn to during crisis they're the ones that people turn to define what the local activity is that could affect their family's lives that's what happened up in lawrence and end  and over when all the boston channels pull out the cable access channel still there to give the continuous information about what is going on in the community well today community television faces and existential threat the federal communications commission has proposed a rule change that would allow cable companies to shirk their obligation to the communities where they operate under cover of law towns and cities across the country in the coma are permitted to require as part of the cable franchise agreements the cable operators me demonstrated community needs by setting aside channels for pay stations yet the f c c says current proposal would allow cable operators to assign a value to these channels jeopardy for massachusetts stations potentially tens of millions of dollars in funding that otherwise would be used in the community it has a result of these proposed changes in that the federal communications commission local governments in massachusetts and across the country will be forced to decide between supporting local paper channels and supporting other critical institutions serving the public good like schools and public safety buildings that's a sophie's choice and it's just not right and we're here today to say that the federal communications commission should not imperil americans access to community television as local newspapers and other sources of local information continue to struggle increasingly don't have the resources that they used to have but we can't allow for the local cable access to us to lose the revenues they need in order to ensure that that flow of information continues into the homes of everyone in every community in our state this access is worth fighting for it's worth protecting and that's why i led a letter to the federal communications commission with ten of my sen cable companies that is what they are sworn to do that is what the contract says that they want to do to serve their community tha morning everyone i want to thank senator markey for convening this amazing group of people this morning so that we could really hear from the people that know what's really going on in our cable access channels you guys are amazing and you have a wonderful comment that i'll share a little later be detrimental to local cable services that includes government education and public access funding is needed to stare the operations of the centers that provide education to the public on how to use the equipment how does three live to social media as well as developing community programming just last week in the city of meffert we held a two hour hearing on our methods we are revitalization who was there from gavel to gavel it was our public access channel that recorded the entire event and then the people that are unable to come whether they're working two or three jobs or can't leave their home they're able to see what's going on in their community and how then they can lobby for certain things that are going on but i want to share a couple of the comments that i heard a little earlier on in the last two hours this is the last bastion of net neutrality they speak for the voiceless the cape verde and the haitians all the minority segments of our community these stations are promoting bringing safety nets to the these communities and allowing their voices to be heard so they can better connect with our cities and towns youth programming afterschool summer programs we have met for high school also have day classes in our center so our kids are becoming wanting to become part of the creative community of our of our state community knows better educate the community when all is said and done our cable channels a big job that they do is community is really educating our members not trying to sway them one way or another instead educate them so that they will make sound choices whether it comes to elections or referendums or c p a going on a ballot it's to bring information to the public to your home so you can watch it at your convenience and a couple of other things freedom of speech where else do you get the freedom of speech but on these cable channels we see it firsthand in our city and i know across the state we experience it where it's really you're able to say what's on your mind and nobody nobody says you can't so these really are the last bastions of freedom of speech so i urge everyone to fight alongside all our cable access providers senator markey then congressman markey had when decades ago he was making sure that the cable industry that was just being formed formed and organized in a way that was responsive to the communities of this nation and of massachusetts of course and also that the cable companies in receiving this opportunity to lay wires on public ways to use the public property to build an infrastructure that would make them billions of dollars that the cable companies themselves had an obligation to make sure that this new industry presented citizens residents everyone with the broadest array the most diverse array information sources and services these pillars of the accountable communities in providing citizens and residents and groups with access to share information those are the pillars of the cable act as it was originally crafted and the foundation upon which those pillars have stood has been the cable access program and the pick programming because that's provided transparency access voices for people in what's the issue today the cable companies they're making billions of billions of dollars are concerned about supporting with millions of dollars that they already recover from the subscribers in the cable bill the kind of programming that allows cable companies to provide value in service to the community we're talking about values of democracy because cable company cable access support open meetings they support the select the select board nowadays or counselors going to meetings and talking and making sure that the voice the voices and the positions that they hold are heard all throughout their community and then that these other people an opportunity to look in and decide whether or not to get involved and to weigh in candidates for election night local groups hold fundraisers over one thousand four hundred individuals and groups have commented just for massachusetts in opposition to the f c c as proposed rules one of those comments was from a local rotary club that said that over the past twenty years they have hosted a fundraiser that's been aired on their local cable station they've raised a one million dollars for local charities and international causes they would not have raised  without cable access to essentially involve the entire community so we're talking about supporting causes charities education youth seniors democracy and why would the cable companies want to for those of saving a few one million dollars undermine that will because they don't want to have to provide that platform but we're saying that platform is the cost of getting access to the public rights of way getting access to the telecommunications industry of the future senator markey has been there from the beginning he's the most knowledgeable lawmaker in washington d c and in this nation on this issue and he is fighting he already has the entire congressional delegation of massachusetts lined up he's working with her colleagues his colleagues but we all need to work with our colleagues and everyone we know of other states to make this movement in massachusetts a national movement to protect democracy and to make sure that the industry is accountable to the values of the air to our local communities and to providing the broadest possible sources of information and services to the people of the united states thank you senator thank you coming thank you so much and next to the president oh thank you so much i'll be very quick because it was all encompassing of what you just heard but thank you again senator markey for creating an opportunity to make the public aware of the devastating effects the f c c has proposed rulemaking will have on the communities we serve for the last thirty years plus communities television stations have delivered vital services helping residents of massachusetts to be an informed citizenry educating empowering residents and making it possible to get their messages distributed and it's proposed rule making the f c c is attempting to undermine federal law which protects free speech and local communities for the use of public rights of way if enacted the residents of the commonwealth face the real possibility of losing access to their local government meetings local sports community events along with the ability to take advantage of what are now considered free video services in their towns and cities massachusetts has the highest concentration of community media centers in the country this means that not only will the services we provide cease to exist but a measurable and meaningful economic impact will also be felt in community media center spend millions of dollars a year on technology equipment facility rent and small business services we employ hundreds of people and give opportunities to millions of residents none of this can be replaced with faceless internet platforms the f c c would have you believe that community media is an antiquated ideal or a relic of a previous technological era but they are simply ill informed community media has evolved from its modest roots to become a staple in the fabric of the communities we serve and its loss will be felt for decades to come across the country local print media is disappearing creating media deserts that only community media is equipped to bridge  our coverage of local government is gavel to gavel an edited and unbiased it promotes transparency and allows municipal departments to reach community viewers to distribute to strip beautified all information through production an airing of debates forums and candidate profiles community media helps to educate voters before elections it allows for documentation and archiving of municipal meetings a service that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars annually the cable act of one thousand nine hundred and four was put into place that americans would have access to technology and a platform on which to express themselves this was not just done simply for the novel idea that it was but was done so that the companies making money using public rights of way i mean a simple land would have to give back to the communities where they sell their products even though they are not a law making body the f c c is attempting to redefine the parameters of the law to the detriment of the consumer this is not just a community media issue it is a community issue a customer service issue this proposed rule making would put more money into the hands of the multibillion dollar corporations while slashing services that consumers routinely pay for i want to thank again senator markey for his tireless support and for the opportunity that he and his staff have afforded us today the f c c was hoping to slide this rulemaking by the consumer quietly under estimate the dedication that so many have to community media and the ideals that it represents as citizens we cannot afford to let the benefits that so many depend on be taken away so that the profits of so few are ever increased we hope that through the support of the fine legislators like the ones we have representing the great state of massachusetts community media will be around for decades to come supporting and changing and educating the people of the  their voices heard that slogan don't taxation without representation still lives in three hundred and fifty one citizens though they want to know what their public officials are doing they want to see what the activity years are the schools and their of public interest groups in the nonprofits in their community they want to make sure that the new arrivals in their community whether they be angola and you name it they have their voices heard as well that's what is still alive and well so where the revolutionary state and this is where the revolution begins against the federal communications commission this is where the fight begins and we're going to spread this across the whole country because that jeopardy is nothing lasts then democracy nothing less than the voices of audit narry citizens in every single city and town in massachusetts and the whole country and we are in now for the fight so we thank all of you for coming here today and if there are any questions i will be glad to a if our goal now is to have what happening here today replicated across the entire country to move from state to state to have a voice is heard from democrat and republican of red and blue cities and towns of because this issue is not a partisan issue this goes to the heart of what the cable systems are supposed to represent locals to give each and every community their own stations their own ability to help their forces are in and that's not democrat or republican that's a fundamental compact that the cable companies constructed with our country they're seeking to walk away from them by reducing the revenues and making each of these communities have very difficult decisions as to whether or not they can continue to provide that service so oh so we we are beginning it here but the federal communications commission has yet to put it on the docket for a decision we know that they're considering it and we're just beginning this crusade to make sure that they get pushback which is going to  into question this is not federal money this is a percent of the cable fees which every person in every community in piece each book and the cable companies make so it's twenty million dollars and out of that twenty million dollars they have to give back five percent of those revenues so that the city had better or any one of the other three hundred and fifty one cities and towns can use in their own discretion in their own city in their own time so it's not federal money it's actual of money that every person pays in their cable bill every single and that's what the fight is all because different every community has their own discretion to use the funding in the best interest of their community but without question it's going to put into jeopardy the ability of these local cable access channels to provide the same level of service they have always provided it in some instances it might actually lead to the question of whether or not they can it's a question yes or we with i'm sorry  e vertical integration which has taken over in the industry back in the eighty's to cable companies didn't own the program but increasingly they do own the programming and so how the compensation is then pay so so it's turning it all upside down but it's also saying oh my goodness we're giving these valuable channels to to the local community although it was part of the bargain they struck in and eighty four but when you scroll through all of the channels that are there and some of them have as we know questionable contents and very questionable content they consider all those channels to be invaluable and we know that in many instances we would not want children to even have an idea of those channels on the system but they're there so for them they can't remove one of two of those channels but somehow or other they can remove something that goes right to the fabric of tributes and that's what we are going to need to do is just to explain how wealthy the cable industry has become on the additional channels they have and how all that looking for is too many words just more space so they can put on more channels but ultimately but i would recommend that you develop the highest quality documentary in terms of what the impact is going to be of massachusetts have every of the channels run it not pool your resources and want to make sure that that high quality programming is produced then have it be running over and over again is a call to action then in the local community to of tailor it for what would that happen in that community with using a higher quality entry level piece of the documentary film which you can put together and so now some of the communities might have the ability to do it all by themselves because they're so large but that notwithstanding it just has to be a chorus which comes out of we united we stand divided we fall so we have to stay together have a common voice which is being win but once the rest of the country hears about what's happening then they're going to wonder why they are sitting on the side so that is what i would say but i would i would put it together soon and just start to run it i think you'll get a great response and it should be a call to