Today I read a blog about the future of the Austin public access channel, also known as channelAustin. The facility was recently upgraded to high performance broadcasting equipment. They have cameras, editing stations, a couple of fully equipped broadcasting studios, and soon to have a audio recording studio. Now, the main thing about this facility is that it's the most affordable way for people of all ages and demographics to voice their opinion and broadcast their original content.

Unfortunatly it is struggling to remain in operation. From what I understand, AT&T brought to the Austin state capital an army of lobbyists to create a statewide franchising system. Basically it's major telephone companies trying to get into the video business and franchise the industry. The main problem is that this telecommunication deregulation allows these corporate tyrants to bypass their debt to the community. What I mean by debt is that channelAustin (for example) receives 85% of it's annual budget from a "cable access fund" derived from Time Warner Cable subscriber fees.

San Antonio lost their public access facility as soon as the new franchise agreements went into effect. The current local agreements expire on August 12th, 2011. So what then? Twenty states already have been stripped of their municipal control over video franchises.

However there is still hope. Representative Tammy Baldwin introduced a bill called the Community Access Preservation Act (HR 3745). If enacted the bill will remove unfair federal restrictions on money the city receives from local providers. Currently the bill is being supported and word is San Antonio plans to take action as well. This movement might just instigate other states around the nation to take action towards recovering an re-establishing their rights to freedom of speech.

If you'd like to find out more and/or make a difference please visit channelAustin's website. Help us protect our community media. It can be as simple as spreading the word.

http://www.channelaustin.org