Louise,

You sounds like you are about to be eaten by the whale.
It's about time that you folks got screwed!

We have been screwed by Cablevision in NY for 10 years this July and I gave
up after 8.5 years which was 1.5 years ago. The ACM has been useless to
public access (IMO) and the ONLY place left for freedom of speech is the
internet *which is under attack (sort of) and the public soap box in a
public place.

Our politicians screwed us, the NY state public service commission screwed
us and the supreme court here in NY.

Welcome to the 'You're getting screwed club'

-richie einhorn 'ex public access producer'

'All Aboard' -richie Richard Einhorn

TheTrainShow.Com Members can watch us ONLINE anytime!
"Honorary Member" Long Island Live Steamers


-----Original Message-----
From: Louise Thompson [mailto:lthompsn@...]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 4:29 PM
To: 'Alliance Forum'; 'PEG-Access'
Subject: [FORUM] Here's the BHN Commercial





________________________________

From: Louise Thompson [mailto:lthompsn@...]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2006 4:27 PM
To: 'Alliance Forum'; 'PEG-Access'
Subject: Need Emails Sent



Hi all --



I need your help. Hillsborough County's Board of County Commissioners
[BOCC] is scheduled to approve a new franchise agreement with Verizon this
Wednesday, February 1, 2006. The number of access channels to be provided
has been left blank. Our Cable Advisory Committee had asked for 12 access
channels, but our BOCC might just let the cable companies get away with two
or three so they can find an excuse to leave PATV out. BHN's renewal is
also on the table so if the Verizon agreement has only 2-3 channels on it,
then BHN will follow suit.



Last week, BHN started running a misleading ad campaign on 40 channels.
[It's attached for your listening pleasure.] This weekend, 175,000 cable
subscribers got postcards with the same message. The campaign tells viewers
that their bills will be higher if they have to provide more access
channels. It tells them to call our BOCC and email
info@... and tell the BOCC "NO MORE PEG ACCESS. NO MORE
TAXES AND FEES."



BHN also indicated in a newspaper article that if they keep PATV they will
move to the VOD digital tier and take us off Channel 20.



We [the Education Channel & TBCN] are trying to combat all this, but, as you
know we're tiny fish fighting a 209-ton blue whale. Hundreds of phone calls
and emails are coming into the County and they're not in our favor.



We need to tilt the tally.



Would you take a moment at right now and email our commissioners and say:
We want MORE access channels - not less. We want the access channels to
stay on the basic tier level in the lineup they presently occupy.



Thanks.



Louise Thompson



Louise M. Thompson

Executive Director

Tampa Bay Community Network

813-254-1687 ext 16

www.tbcn.org <http://www.tbcn.org/>






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