The Free Press -- Independent News Media

Sat Aug 30 2008

Dispatches from the Front

Report from National Conference for Media Reform
by Richard James
May 16, 2005

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

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