MISSION STATEMENT

Contact:  Cynthia J Laitmam

                Tel 608/ 277-9093

                E-mail: laitmancj@yahoo.com

Whereas the so-called Video Competition Act (SB 107 / AB 207) now being considered in the Wisconsin legislature

•           is based on deceptive corporate claims to lower consumer costs and increase competition, and on unverifiable and unenforceable promises to create union jobs, 

•           was written by the industry that would be its major beneficiary, ignoring Wisconsin citizens and other key stakeholders,

•           would gut consumer protections and abolish local control over cable and telecommunication operations, explicitly forbidding municipalities from objecting to any operational decisions of video franchisers, 

•           would eliminate funding for and decrease the number of local public, educational, and government access television channels,  and would eliminate even minimal standards for video picture quality,

•           would reduce revenues to Wisconsin municipalities by millions of dollars by eliminating corporate fees for their use of public rights-of-way, and 

•           gives control without accountability to private corporations -- in perpetuity-- over Wisconsin’s broadband and telecommunication capabilities, endangering our State’s economic future, 

we, the undersigned,  call for the defeat of this pending legislation.

Signators:

Center for Media & Democracy

Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin

North Shore Cable Commission (Milwaukee area)

Regional Telecommunications Commission  (greater Metropolitan Milwaukee area)

Wisconsin Association of PEG Channels (WAPC)

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign

Wisconsin League of Women Voters

Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG)

Barry Orton, PhD,  Professor of Telecommunication, University of Wisconsin-Madison                

Cynthia J Laitman, PhD, Visiting Professor, Communication Studies, Edgewood College

Teletruth Wisconsin is an independent affiliate of Teletruth.