Alliance for Community Media Public Policy Platform

For democracy to flourish, people must be educated to think critically and become active participants in their government.  Communications networks which use the public rights-of-way and public spectrum must provide the means and support for that participation through community uses of media.

Public, educational, and government (PEG) access channels and centers have been part of the regulatory framework for cable television since 1972, playing a key role in providing a diversity of viewpoints and ideas at the local level.

The Alliance for Community Media (the Alliance), the national non-profit association representing PEG access channels and centers across the United States, is dedicated to advancing democratic ideals by ensuring that all people have access to media resources in their local communities. There are over 3000 public, PEG centers, also called Community Media Centers, around the country that provide people with tools, training and transmission of their programming on cable channels.

The PEG model should be applied to all entities using public airwaves and occupying space in public rights of way regardless of the technology or infrastructure. This assures that localism and community participation are not displaced by commercial interests.

Basic Principles for Federal Legislation to Secure the Future of PEG Access

The principles below outline the framework for a 21st century community media model for PEG channels and community media centers that would secure reasonable access for generations to come. Threats to the existence of PEG access in recent years need to be actively addressed with a policy of “community reinvestment” through PEG access that includes funds and bandwidth and/or spectrum that will be available for public purposes.  This community reinvestment would apply to all infrastructure and service providers and would be based upon the following principles:

  • Guaranteed diverse non-commercial local programming - Local communities must be able to produce and transmit media that reflects local experiences. PEG is uniquely qualified to provide this service. This guarantee can be achieved by:
  • Dedicating at least five percent of the public airwaves and capacity on communication facilities that occupy public rights-of-way to PEG use for free speech, diverse points of view, local programs, community based education and political speech.
  • Requiring funding, in addition to the franchise fee, for PEG access of at least 3% of gross revenues from all infrastructure and service providers and spectrum licensees to support equipment, facilities, training and services at PEG/Community Media Centers.
  • Assuring the opportunity for the public to access media platforms of all telecommunications providers via cross-platform, public interest standards that ensure broad based community use.
  • Guaranteed equivalent PEG signal quality and functionality –Include a federal requirement that video franchise holders provide PEG channels at equivalent signal quality and functionality to that provided to local broadcast channels, with the capability of supporting closed captioning, SAP audio, channel surfing, DVR recording, high definition and other functions available for broadcast channels.
  • Guaranteed PEG channel placement on basic tier – Include a federal requirement that PEG channels be located on the lowest cost, most accessible tier of service adjacent to “must-carry” broadcast channels, without the need of additional equipment. The PEG programming and channel information must be treated the same as broadcast television.
  • Redefined basic service tier as an obligation of all – Define the basic service tier as an obligation of every video provider utilizing public property for the delivery of its services, rather than limited to rate regulated communities.
  • Guaranteed mechanisms and funding for acquisition of media literacy skills - In order to represent themselves, community members need access to content creation tools, training to use the tools, and mechanisms for content distribution.
  • Protected local control.  Allow the local community which owns the public right-of-way to manage and determine the best use of the community’s property. Federal law must protect this principle.
  • Enforced compliance with the law – Provide for enforcement of violations of PEG requirements, including meaningful monetary penalties, in the federal law.