Birmingham Area Cable Board

Rep. Shelley Goodman Taub (District 40)
Michigan House of Representatives
The Honorable Shelley Goodman Taub
P.O. Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514phone: 1-866-654-TAUBphone: (517) 373-8670 shelleytaub@house.mi.gov

Senator Carl Levin
269 Russell Office Building
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510-2202

P: 202-224-6221
F: 202-224-1388
Email: senator@levin.senate.gov

Senator Debbie Stabenow
133 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

P: 202-224-4822
F: 202-228-0325
Email: senator@stabenow.senate.gov

Congressman Joe Knollenberg
2349 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-2211

P: 202-225-5802
F: 202-226-2356
To email Rep. Knollenberg, go to:

http://www.house.gov/knollenberg/

and then go to the media center. Follow the site’s instructions. To send our letter, simply cut and paste the letter into the appropriate comments box.

Senator Gilda Jacobs (District 14)
1015 Farnum Bldg. (Office Address)
P.O. Box 30036 (Mailing Address)
Lansing, MI 48909-7536

P: 517-373-7888|
Toll Free: 1-888-937-4453
Fax: 517-373-2983
Email: SenGJacobs@senate.michigan.gov

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SWOCC STUDIOS LEGISLATIVE ACTION LETTER

INSTRUCTIONS:(copy/paste) (email/fax)

http://www.swoccstudios.com/PDF%20Articles/cover%20memo%201-06.pdf

[Insert Date]

[Insert Your Elected Officials Address Information]

RE: CABLE FRANCHISE LEGISLATION

Dear (Your Elected Official),

I write to request your leadership in opposing any legislation that undermines local

government’s ability to protect our residents and to ensure fair competition in cable.

We want fair competition and for like services to be treated alike.

Telephone companies should not be allowed to enter the cable market without

comparable obligations to those of the incumbent cable providers. These obligations

have resulted in public programming which has been a benefit to all.

Preserve Local Authority and Leave No Constituent Behind.

Local rights-of-way management authority is needed to ensure public safety and

efficient use of the rights-of-way. Local oversight in cable has resulted in ALL

citizens, regardless of economic status, being served. Telephone companies are

promoting statutory changes that would allow them to cherrypick rich consumers

while redlining other neighborhoods. Absent local oversight, a Texas or New York

based company would determine who is important and who isn’t. This could result in sucheconomic uncertainty in the cable industry that some residents might wind up

without any provider at all, let alone competition.

The current system works and it works well. Here’s why:

§ Cable franchises provide for public, educational and governmental access

TV, which provides important information to residents including school news,

public safety information, participation in city council meetings and MGTV

(Michigan Government TV).

§ Cable franchises support public infrastructure.

§ Cable franchises provide cities and townships with just compensation for use

of public rights-of-way. Michigan alone could lose $100 million in direct revenue

to local governments. The revenues are spent on right-of-ways, local public access

channels, public education, and public safety. With local governments struggling to make

ends meet, any revenue cut would be painful.

§ Cable franchises enable customers to quickly and completely resolve service issues at

the local level, instead of seeking relief from new Federal or Statewide agencies.

§ Local government is not an impediment to new cable entrants. Cities and townships

promptly grant additional franchises. Existing franchise agreements can be very quickly

amended to simply add any qualified newcomer. The fact is, however, the Telcos have

not bothered to ask.

I urge you to oppose legislation that takes away any local government cable

franchising, franchise fees and local authority.

Sincerely,