At a time when local information is needed, FCC vote endangers public-access stations

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 along party lines Aug 1 to change long-standing guidelines related to cable franchising fees. The modifications detrimentally affect one of educational media’s great unsung heroes, Public, Educational and Government access television and radio stations nationwide. The effects of the FCC’s decision will go beyond PEG stations. The new rules, which will take effect in Sept, will allow cable companies to assign market values to benefits and charge the amount back to local communities in most cases. Benefits include items such as free cable subscriptions for schools, discounts for the elderly, and perhaps most importantly fiber connectivity to local government buildings such as police departments, fire stations and libraries. The rationale? The FCC’s majority seems to believe in trickle-down economics — that allowing cable companies to charge back fees will increase company profits and lead to more broadband in America. But talk with communities in 23 states that have limited or eliminated fees that communities can charge for the use of their property and support of community channels — states such as Wisconsin and Ohio — and look for a correlation between limiting local power and increasing broadband investment. The only correlation is increased company profits.

In this era of news deserts — communities with limited access to credible and comprehensive news and information — and deepening polarization, killing PEG broadcasting is the last thing our country needs. The FCC’s move to undercut a crucial educational voice demands our sharpest attention in support of media access and our communities, as legal action is certain to follow.

[Ernesto Aguilar, is Program Director at National Federation of Community Broadcasters. Mike Wassenaar is President and CEO of Alliance for Community Media.]