Action Needed on PATV Law

Trish and Ellen, RR-Iowa Coordinators

All,
 
Please contact your State Representative today about Senate file 554 (video franchise bill) that passed the Senate and is currently in the State House.  If the bill passes before April 27 PATV could lose funding.  Programs such as Democracy Now! could be threatened.   
 
ACTION:  Please tell your state rep how much you value public education channels.  Ask them to support amendments that ensure continued funding of PEG (public education and government) programming. 
 
Find your state rep here:  http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/
 
For More Info:
 
If you would like more info. about this threat to important community programming, here's what Nick Johnson, former FCC Commissioner has to say in this April 12 Special to the Register: 
 
Rein in Prices by Keeping Tough Local Regulation
 
or at Nick's blog:
 
Also, see this Guest Opinion in Sunday's Iowa City Press-Citizen by Saul Mekies, Chairman of Iowa City's Telecommunications Commission
 
Local Franchises Fund Channels and Ensure Coverage of All Areas
 
 
or go to: 
 
Iowa City PATV:  hpage_id=45ttp://patv.tv/?
 
Thanks everybody,