Five Point Legislative Proposal:
A FAIR SHAKE FOR TV THAT PUTS COMMUNITIES FIRST
It’s Time…
September, 2019 It’s been twelve years since the State of Wisconsin took over the franchising of cable companies from municipalities. It’s time to revisit the statute and make some improvements so that Public, Education, and Government (PEG) access channels can effectively fulfill their mission to create media by, for, and about local communities for local audiences. Summary of Our Five Point Proposal
1. It’s time for Video Service Providers to modernize their systems and carry PEG HD programming in HD.
PEG programming produced in HD should be transmitted in HD like all other channels, not degraded to long out-of-date SD (low resolution Standard Definition). This is a serious problem. Nearly all PEG channels are carried in SD, but nearly all WCM member municipalities produce programming in HD or higher resolutions. One Page Summary on HD Graphical Comparison of SD and HD
2. It’s time for Video Service Providers to permit PEG channel program schedules to appear in the Electronic Program Guide.
The guide lists every program service and every schedule carried on the cable television system except PEG programming. By refusing to add PEG programming to the guide, VSPs make it really difficult for cable subscribers to find out what is on PEG channels. It also means subscribers cannot record meetings, event coverage, high school football games and more. “Appointment television” is long gone. It is high time VSPs allow PEG channels to be viewed on-demand like all other television programs are viewed. One Page Summary on EPG
3. It’s time to make community programming available to all cable television subscribers.
Like local broadcast channels, PEG channels should be available on the most basic tier of cable television service so that all cable TV viewers can interact with their community through local programming. One Page Summary on Basic Tier
4. It’s time video service providers acknowledge their status as sole source vendors and provide basic transmission equipment and lines to municipalities.
As sole source vendors, VSPs dictate what equipment PEG media centers must use to get on their systems and set the price for construction services. Municipalities are put in the difficult position of accepting whatever terms VSPs set, without the benefit of considering other proposals in an open market. It just makes sense that VSPs provide the equipment and lines necessary to interact with their systems. The Federal Communications Commission affirmed this last month in its Third Report and Order in MB Docket No. 05-311. One Page Summary on Transmission Facilities
5. It’s time video service providers are held to a standard of service toward PEG channels.
Video service providers should be required to name a point person, who can respond to service issues such as outages and reception problems, and be required to resolve reception problems and construction projects within a reasonable time. Enforcement tools should be available when service standards are not met. One Page Summary on Enforceable Standards of Service
