Hello,
I am writing (May 13) from St. Louis where I am attending the National Conference for Media
Reform. I intend to share what I am learning when I return. I wanted to relate a bit of what I am
experiencing so far. You can read about it perhaps see/hear some recorded content at
www.freepress.net
There are 2300 people here from all 50 states and 8 countries. It is very clear we are winning the
battle for media reform. Numerous legal setbacks have dealt a blow to broadcasters’ efforts to
keep their control of our airwaves. Soon the battle will go to Congress where the big media and
telecom companies will try to regulate the open digital networks so only they can be the content
providers.
The battle ahead * the 2006 Telecom Act for one * will be about the individual right to speak
through digital spectrum without having to get the permission of Verizon or any other network
owner.
There is a lot of buzz here about “municipal broadband,” cities providing broadband to citizens like
a public utility. Philadelphia will be offering citizens broadband for as little as $9 a month. The
telecos are scared to death of this and are fighting it. The good news is that we have been winning
these battles at the state legislature level in most of the states in which the industry has pushed
legislation to stop this.
There is currently a bill floundering in the Ohio House. If cities can build streets they can provide
roads to the information highway without asking the permission of media giants. This can be an
issue in the upcoming City Council and gubernatorial races. The United States, once a leader in
expanding broadband to citizens, has fallen out of the top ten nations. We have very expensive
and slow broadband and we are suffering the economic consequences. Ohio communities can
build there own networks to build essential infrastructure to advancing our States depressed
economic climate.
There has also been much discussion of organizing strategies and one that keeps coming up is
involving faith communities. Many are represented here and I invite anyone with ideas on how to
pursue this in Columbus to chime in.
Enough for now. I’ll post more when I can.
Richard James, MA, Video/Web Developer, Teaching & Learning Resource Center,
Columbus State Community College, 241 Davidson Hall, 550 E Sprint St., Columbus OH 43215
