Wisconsin Community Media has unveiled its legislative proposal that would end the 2nd class status PEG channels have on cable television systems.
The bill is now being circulated to members, legislators, and others for feedback. Support for this bill is bipartisan, however, as of January 15, we have not found a Republican legislator willing to be a lead author.
Charter Communications has rejected legislator requests to meet and discuss this bill. Charter, known commonly as Spectrum, serves about 90% of the state.
If passed by the legislature, the bill would require cable companies to:
Put PEG channels on a tier that is viewable by 100% of cable subscribers, not 50% as under current law.
Allow PEG channels to be seen on the Electronic Program Guide with their program schedules.
Carry PEG channels in HD if the channel’s programming is produced in HD. Currently no transmission standard exists.
Pay for constructing any transmission lines that communities need to transmit programs from places like city halls and high schools to the cable system and require cable operators to complete work within a reasonable timeframe. Cable operators are sole source vendors and currently name their price and the timetable for work.
Pay for the transmission equipment PEG channels need to connect to cable systems. Charter/Spectrum’s method of transmission is so out of date, viable equipment is nearly impossible to find and purchase. Operators decide on the transmission method, they should also pay for all related equipment.
Identify and provide contact information for a service technician familiar with PEG channel transmission issues in a timely manner.
Institute penalties for not resolving PEG channel signal problems within a reasonable period of time.
Cable systems just received a tax break from the state legislature. In 2020, video service providers will be paying $5 million less to cities and in 2021 and in years going forward, they will pay $10 million less annually. They can use this generous windfall to upgrade their systems and improve the customer experience for local programming.
WCM has released this Summary of the Bill. If you would like to receive a copy of the legislation, please email Mary Cardona at exec@wisconsincommunitymedia.com.
