The following was sent by the ACM’s Sylvia Strobel to Chairman Genachowski yesterday, with copies to the four FCC Commissioners.  To see the official filing, go to:  http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7021237160.

April 5, 2011

The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554

Dear Chairman Genachowski,

More than two years ago, the ACM and many of its members and other supporters filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission regarding the discriminatory treatment against public, educational and governmental (PEG) channels by AT&T U-Verse.   As of today, there has been no action by the FCC on the petition, and community media’s request for equal treatment with local broadcasters has gone unanswered.  Rather, PEG channels continue to suffer from discriminatory treatment in quality, accessibility and functionality by AT&T U-verse.

The ACM was surprised to learn of your assertion last week during the FCC 2012 Budget Hearing that one-half of the PEG complaints filed with the FCC last year were resolved.  To the best of the ACM’s knowledge, there have been no matters resolved by the FCC and no action taken by the FCC on any community media petitions.  The only matters that have been resolved have been through lawsuits brought by community media representatives against media conglomerates – which did not involve the FCC.  On behalf of our membership, we ask you to provide a list of “resolved PEG matters from FY 2010 and year-to-date for 2011”.

The Alliance for Community Media (ACM) represents the nearly three thousand PEG noncommercial cable channels in the United States.  Community media is a critical source for local news, information and educational programming, and in many communities is the only source of local information.

Sincerely,
Sylvia L. Strobel, Esq.
Executive Director

Cc: The Honorable Michael Copps

The Honorable Robert McDowell
The Honorable Meredith Attwell Baker
The Honorable Mignon Clyburn
Debra Rogers, Chair of the Board, ACM
James Horwood, Esq., Board of Directors, ACM