Connecticut lawmakers have the opportunity to save public access TV

Local public access TV or public, educational and government access (“PEG”), has been in Connecticut for over 40 years providing residents, municipalities, schools and community organizations with hyper-local programming that would not otherwise be available. PEG channels were established, as noted by the U.S. Supreme Court, in exchange for “permission to install cables under city streets and to use public rights-of way.”

In Connecticut, independent nonprofits have been encouraged by statute and assume operational responsibility for PEGs. Producers of local media, using volunteers, provide alternative programming to major corporate media companies. Your PEG TV station falls into one of three categories: public, a general category for any local content, from talk shows, to religious services and Memorial Day parades; educational, like high school sports, board of education meetings and school events; and government, consisting of town meetings and other municipal events. Collectively, PEG programming allows ANY resident to learn, produce and distribute content to be informed and engaged with their communities.

How is PEG funded? Cable companies are required by federal and state law to carry this programming and provide adequate funding. In Connecticut, this funding is established on a per customer basis, averaging $0.68 per month. A 2007 law change allowed cable companies to obtain certificates allowing them to operate and occupy our public streets endlessly with virtually no oversight. The legislature did reinforce the importance and support for PEG regardless of how cable was transmitted and PEG is the only direct benefit that is offered to cities and towns.

Millions of people have cut the cable cord with more expected, due to the high cost of cable, and migration to other services causing a tremendous loss of operating revenue to PEGs. Supplemental fund-raising is undertaken but insufficient to make up the nearly $1.2 million recent decrease. During the pandemic, PEGs provided real-time coverage of government, health, religious, educational and community programming accessible to all. SB 278 is simply amended language restoring the original funding of PEG: one fee per customer, paid for by cable companies, regardless of technology deployment. SB 278 is not a tax on the internet or anything else.

Please contact your legislator to support PEG - SB 278.