To the editor:
Cable companies have proposed to the FCC that the method of calculating their funding of public access stations be altered in such a way that it will actually take most, if not all of them off the air.
They are proposing a very radical method of determining how cable companies can deduct/use the funds they now collect from subscribers by using that deduction to actually not fund the stations. The net result is that local access stations, having no real ability to get advertising support, would no longer have the needed subscriber fees to fund them.
What compounds this greedy effort by the cable companies is that subscribers will STILL BE CHARGED the local fee, but with the way companies will be able to deduct their “expenses” (determined by them alone), while keeping the subscribers fees for themselves and not have to send it to the local communities and their access facilities.
This will result in our local access stations like PCTV, CTSBTV, and probably every other one in the entire country to go off the air.
You can write a brief note of opposition to this proposed change by going to https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express Enter 05-311 and the proper hearing will be listed. You can enter your information and submit your brief written note of opposition to this egregious attempt by the cable companies to DESTROY public access television.
Jim Balfanz
Stockbridge
