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92_SR0392
LRB9216591RHrh
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The Senate fully supports the rights of local
3 citizens to make use of local, noncommercial cable channels
4 for cultural, educational, health, social service, civic,
5 community, and other nonprofit purposes; and
6 WHEREAS, Public access television in Chicago was a part
7 of the structure of the original cable franchises in Chicago
8 to be supported by the franchised cable companies; and
9 WHEREAS, Chicago Access Corporation ("CAN TV") was
10 created by cable ordinance in the City of Chicago to give
11 every Chicagoan a voice on cable television; and
12 WHEREAS, CAN TV's local noncommercial cable channels have
13 served thousands of Chicago residents and nonprofits that
14 create programming about education, jobs, health care,
15 housing, immigration assistance, housing, and other local
16 concerns; and
17 WHEREAS, CAN TV provides the opportunity to members of
18 the Illinois General Assembly to inform their constituents in
19 Chicago about activities State-wide through the weekly live
20 call-in program, Political Forum, as well as other programs;
21 and
22 WHEREAS, CAN TV now cablecasts 150 hours of new,
23 original, noncommercial programs weekly, or more local
24 programming than all of the local broadcast stations in
25 Chicago combined; and
26 WHEREAS, CAN TV has received local, State, and national
27 recognition for outstanding achievements in the field of
28 public access television and, as such, is a model of what is
29 possible for the citizens of Illinois; and
30 WHEREAS, All of the seven previous and current franchised
-2- LRB9216591RHrh
1 cable companies in Chicago have always met their obligations
2 to CAN TV, thereby supporting the participation of local
3 residents in cable television; and
4 WHEREAS, One of those companies, RCN, is now over two
5 months late in making a payment of $645,000 as part of its
6 contractual obligation to CAN TV; and
7 WHEREAS, Despite numerous requests for payment, RCN has
8 remained silent as to when that payment will be made; and
9 WHEREAS, RCN's continued nonpayment of funds to CAN TV,
10 especially in light of CAN TV's reliance on RCN's making
11 payments when due, would result in reductions in service and
12 staffing at CAN TV; and
13 WHEREAS, The loss of funding to CAN TV would have a
14 detrimental effect on constituents of the Illinois General
15 Assembly who rely on CAN TV services and programming;
16 therefore, be it
17 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
18 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we strongly urge RCN
19 to act in good faith and immediately honor its payment
20 obligations to CAN TV and to the people of the City of
21 Chicago; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
23 presented to RCN.