[2723] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Ralph Nader/Cable TV/Information Networks
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Essential Information, Inc.)
Thu Apr 30 05:17:00 1992
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 92 06:02 GMT
From: "Essential Information, Inc." <0002633455@mcimail.com>
To: Com-Priv <com-priv@psi.com>
Post this under the subject
"Ralph Nader/Cable TV/Information Networks"
>From: Ralph Nader, Washington, DC
Date: April 16, 1992
Summary: Your help is needed to secure an amendment to pending
cable television legislation. The amendment would
create a mechanism to organize local Cable Consumer
Action Groups (CCAGs) to represent the interests of
consumers directly before regulatory and legislative
bodies. This proposal is an innovative way to create
countervailing power to some of the large corporate
interests that control our information infrastructure,
and it is a model that is highly relevant for users of
voice and data network services. Readers are asked to
sign a letter to Congress supporting this amendment.
Action is needed very soon. Respond to Jim Donahue,
Teledemocracy Project (Internet:
0002633455@mcimail.com)
Dear citizen:
As you may know, congress is currently considering cable
television legislation. Every television consumer should be
concerned about the outcome of this legislation, and particularly
citizens who are concerned about the future of information
technologies. The current fiasco with the cable industry is an
important example of the management of information technologies
for the benefit of a few corporate monopolists at the expense of
the many. Today nearly all americans are confronted with a
monopoly provider of cable video signals, who not only has total
control over what you can receive, but also what you pay.
Over the next 15 years we will see a rapid convergence of
information technologies. Soon it will be possible to transmit
voice, data, and video signals over the same fiber optic
telecommunications infrastructure. The fight over who will
control the content of information that flows over that
infrastructure, and how it will be priced, will define who can
send and who can receive information in digital form. As the use
of modern technologies increasingly makes it easier to meter the
consumption of information products and services, the gaps
between the information rich and information poor will continue
to grow.
The current battle over the regulation of the cable television
industry is an important step in a more general battle over the
control of our information infrastructure. This is a battle over
power and wealth, and also over democratic values, competition,
and enlightenment. Will we harness our great new information
technologies to promote a diversity of sources of information, or
will these technologies be used primarily as vehicles for
narrowly focused commercial interests, exercising monopoly power?
CABLE CONSUMER ACTION GROUPS (CCAG) AS COUNTERVAILING POWER
A number of consumer groups have asked Congress to adopt an
innovative proposal to help cable television subscribers organize
to represent their interests. Notices describing local Cable
Consumer Action Groups (CCAGs), which would be independent and
democratically controlled local organizations, would be placed in
the cable companies billings. The notices describe the purposes
and goals of the group and solicit funds for membership. The CCAG
would be required to reimburse the cable company for the
incremental costs of inserting the notice in the bill, so the
cost would not be a burden to the cable company or its
subscribers. These local subscriber consumer groups would then
monitor the policies and practices of the cable company, and
represent consumer interests in regulatory and legislative
proceedings and with the cable companies directly.
The cable industry is extremely active politically, contributing
millions of dollars to candidates for political office and
spending millions more in lobbying activities before legislative
and regulatory bodies. In the absence of something like the
CCAG, important public policy issues are debated in an extremely
unbalanced way. The CCAG is a modest but important step in
addressing a very corrupt system that regularly tramples on the
rights and interests of consumers.
Among the groups that have endorsed this proposal are:
Center for Media Education
Consumer Federation of America
New York City Commissioner of Consumer Affairs
Public Citizen
Teledemocracy Project
U.S. Public Interest Research Group
HAS IT BEEN TRIED BEFORE?
This proposal is based on the highly successful Citizen Utility
Board (CUB) model, which has represented ratepayers in several
states. The most successful CUB, in Illinois, has 170,000
members; its advocacy has saved consumers some $2 billion over
the past several years. Other CUBs exist in Wisconsin, Oregon
and San Diego. We want to see this innovation used nation wide
in the cable television industry. (Of course, it may well be a
model that has applications to other telecommunications issues.)
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The CCAG proposal was included in H.R. 4850, but was deleted by a
voice vote (in contrast to a recorded vote) in the House
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance. The bill is now
in the full Energy and Commerce Committee, where committee
supporters will seek to restore the provision through an
amendment. We are asking you to send us an email message giving
permission to use your name in a letter to Congress supporting
this amendment. If you are willing to do so send the following
information to the Teledemocracy Project (internet:
0002633455@mcimail.com, or fax 202-234-5176).
Name:
Title: (optional)
Affiliation: (optional)
Address:
City and State: (important, for obvious reasons)
telephone: (for verification)
email address: optional
Thank you very much for your help on this.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader
A copy of the letter follows:
-------------------------------------------------------------
LETTER
Chairman Edward Markey
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Markey:
We are writing to support your "consumer representation"
amendment to H.R. 4850, the cable re-regulation bill. It is
imperative that new cable legislation provide a mechanism that
gives consumers a stronger voice in regulatory and legislative
debates. This amendment is ideal because it brings citizens into
the regulatory process at no cost to the government or the cable
industry.
Who in Congress can deny the unfairness of a system where the
owners of cable monopolies can use subscriber revenues for
lobbying purposes while consumers are left powerless and
unrepresented? This is only a small step toward curbing the
monopolistic power of the cable television industry. We urge the
House Energy and Commerce Committee to include your consumer
representation amendment in the cable bill.
Sincerely,
------------------------
For more information, contact:
Jim Donahue
Teledemocracy Project
voice: 202/387-8030
fax: 202/234-5176
Internet: 0002633455@mcimail.com
For a an email copy of the amendment contact Jim Donahue
(internet: 0002633455@mcimail.com).
