Wisconsin Assembly Bill 207/Senate Bill 107 is being touted as legislation to increase competition among video service providers and lower rates to consumers. Telecommunications companies such as AT&T are in favor of the proposed law because it eliminates the local cable franchising process allowing municipalities to charge fees and require in-kind services and public access to the media delivery system in return for granting the video provider use of the public rights of way.

The bill, originally on a fast-track, was slowed by Senate Democrats in April by sending it to the Joint Finance Committee to determine what the costs to state and local government will be to implement the new law. Public access proponents and consumer advocates along with local government and school district officials fought for greater scrutiny of the measure before passage.

Senate Democrats plan to push for changes to the original proposal to ensure that schools and other public entities are connected and receive service at no cost by potential new cable/video providers.

Without changes to the bill, classroom access to live current events and classroom instructional programming would be jeopardized, along with students having the opportunity to have their work reach as many as 94,000 households in the area.

The current configuration of channels places value on our student voices, schools events, and district information. A loss of the channels would signify a further devaluing of public institutions.

Without cable TV delivery of Madison Board of Education meetings, citizen access to the democratic process and input on Board issues would be reduced especially among households without Internet access, further widening the digital divide.

Learn more about the bill. Watch with a wary eye messages from "TV-for-US". Ask your elected representatives how the bill will affect our children and schools. For more information contact Marcia Standiford, 663-1969.