State Senator Gayle Slossberg
May 7, 2008
Slossberg: Legislation Ensures That Communities Get Local Access Programming
State Senator Gayle Slossberg (D-Milford), Senate chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, led the state Senate tonight in approving legislation that ensures that Milford and Orange will have unfettered access to town-specific government programming.
"Our towns have been producing and broadcasting our own, town-specific programming for years, and the cable access provider has put up roadblocks at every turn," said Senator Slossberg. "The bottom line is that any town that is willing and able to produce and broadcast local programs for the benefit of our residents and to increase government access should be free to do so. This legislation says that no one can deny that access. We want to be able to watch our own town meetings, high school football games and parades freely. This law will finally allow us to do so."
The legislation says that any third-party provider or video service provider serving the Area Two communities of Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, Fairfield, Stratford and Bridgeport must provide written consent for the town organization, authority, body or official to operate education and government public access channels in town and to engage freely and directly headend equipment for the dissemination of town-specific community programming on designated channels.
Violation of the written consent-which includes failure to allow the town to operate channels and disseminate town-specific programming-will give the municipality the option to terminate, revoke or rescind the third party's service agreement and to reopen the application process to secure a community access provider for each town within the affected service area.
The bill also provides $100,000 in funding to support development of public access programs.
The measure-Senate Bill 677-was approved in a 28-to-8 vote, and now moves to the state House of Representatives for consideration.
The 2008 regular legislative session adjourns tonight, May 7, at midnight.
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