Sender: "Craig A. Johnson" <•••@••.•••> This certainly graphically makes the point about monopolistic control. TCI management is known to be a little to the right of Attila the Hun anyway, but this is abhorrent. Though it is evidence of the dangers of excessive concentration, it does not ipso facto mean that all media companies will behave the same way. I doubt very much that Time-Warner/Turner Broadcasting would discriminate against liberal programmers the way TCI does. John Malone, after all, is a big fan of Rush Limbaugh. Craig ============================================== PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: DANI NEWSUM (303) 442-5693 OR JOHN SCHWARTZ (303) 442-2707 MASSIVE RATE INCREASE BY MEDIA GIANT TCI FORCES THE 90'S CHANNEL TO SHUT DOWN AT MIDNIGHT NOVEMBER 1 The FCC Declines to Issue Emergency Stay; The 90's Says Astronomical Increases Undermine the Intent of Federal Cable Law BOULDER, COLORADO, November 1, 1995. The 90's Channel----this country's only full-time progressive cable television network---was forced off the air at midnight last night on seven cable systems operated by Tele-Communications, Inc. due to a massive rate increase. The channel was faced with the choice of paying TCI almost $250,000 per month or shutting down. "In practical terms, that was no choice at all," said John Schwartz, The 90's Channel's President. The 90's Channel had petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for an emergency stay of the rate increase, but the FCC yesterday declined to issue one. The FCC has not yet ruled on a second petition filed by The 90's challenging the legality of the rate increase. However, under FCC rules the new rates will remain in effect until the matter is fully adjudicated. The channel said the increase is too great to pay, even temporarily. The 90's Channel leased its cable carriage from TCI, meaning that it paid TCI to carry 90's programming. Federal law requires cable operators to lease a certain number of channels in order to prevent them from exercising monopoly control over the content of information and entertainment programming carried on their systems. The more typical arrangement requires a cable operator like TCI to pay a cable network (CNN, ESPN, etc.) to carry the network's programming. "To require a cable operator to lease channels as a means of increasing the diversity of information sources, while at the same time to allowing the operator to charge ruinous lease rates, is to frustrate the intent of the federal cable law," said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Media Education in Washington D.C. "This ruling makes it even more difficult for independent and progressive programming to be seen and heard by American television viewers." Jeff Cohen, executive director of the New York based Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) commented, "At midnight this morning, the monopolization of American television took another step forward - another independent voice is being silenced. Meanwhile our elected representatives in Washington aid and abet the censorship of independent and innovative programming." This was not the first time TCI has tried to rid its systems of The 90's Channel. In 1992, TCI advised the network that it planned to drop The 90's from all of its cable systems. The Channel took TCI to court, and the parties negotiated the current agreement for carriage through October 31, 1995. The loss of The 90's Channel carriage does not mean the end of efforts for a progressive television network, however. Beginning in June, The 90's Channel's parent company has operated a companion project known as FREE SPEECH TV. FStv, as the venture is abbreviated, continues the work pioneered by The 90's Channel, airing programs championing the perspectives of working men and women, promoting human and civil rights, exposing corporate and governmental corruption, showcasing experimental media, and highlighting environmental dangers and success stories. FStv currently provides programming which is carried on a part-time basis on 44 cable channels serving over 4.2 million households. In recent months, The 90's Channel systems had served as some of FStv's most important affiliates. "Even though the loss of the seven full-time cable channels is no small setback, I want to stress that we remain committed---if anything, more strongly---to the task of building a network for progressive television," concluded Schwartz. -30- ______________________________________________________________ John B. Schwartz •••@••.••• P.O. Box 6060 voice 303-442-2707 Boulder, CO 80306 FAX 303-442-6472 _______________________________________________________________ ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~-~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~ Posted by Andrew Oram - •••@••.••• - Moderator: CYBER-RIGHTS (CPSR) You are encouraged to forward and cross-post messages for non-commercial use, pursuant to any redistribution restrictions included in individual messages. ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~-~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~