More than 3,000 comments on FCC's NPRM on video franchising

More than 3,000 comments flooded the FCC after they announced that they might reconsider their rulemaking on local video franchising. The comments were overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining and strengthening local franchise authority.

The big telcos want to compete in video delivery with big cable, but are pushing legislation that eliminates the franchise requirement, allowing them to go around local community franchise authorities like the Marin Telecommunications Agency (MTA) here in Marin. Most of the 3,000 comments agreed on this - if the telcos want to compete in our communities, they need to play by the same rules as the cable companies, work with our locally elected community representatives, and compensate the community for rights-of-way passage.

Here you can find the Marin Telecommunications Agency's comment and Media Action Marin's comment. A Chapter from the upcoming book, BE THE MEDIAHow to Create A Community Media Center is included as the Appendix to MAM's comment. See also Jeff Chester's great NPRM comment via his Center for Digital Democracy. Other resources: Alliance for Community Media, Media-Alliance, NATOA, Media Action Marin.

FCC Press Release (PDF)
FCC NPRM (PDF)
Statement of FCC Chairman Martin (PDF)
Statement of FCC Commissioner Abernathy (PDF)
Statement of FCC Commissioner Copps (PDF)
Statement of FCC Commissioner Adelstein (PDF)