City Fixes Local Ordinance for Support of Public Channels

On November 19, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that ensures CAN TV will not be deprived of funding from companies that get state franchises.  The current ordinance was flawed.  While it ensured CAN TV would get the 1% public access fee from AT&T, it routed funds from all future state franchise companies to the City.  With Comcast’s announcement that it planned to abandon its negotiations with the City and opt into a state franchise, it became imperative that this disparity be corrected.  

The corrected ordinance now states that CAN TV will get direct payment of 2/3rds of the 1% fee for public access allocated under state law.  That applies across the board for all companies, and brings state cable payments into line with the RCN local franchise.  CMA members applaud the City Council for taking this important step to ensure the future stability of CAN TV.