State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]


92_HR0771

 
                                               LRB9216532RHrh

 1                          HOUSE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, The House of Representatives fully supports  the
 3    rights  of local citizens to make use of local, noncommercial
 4    cable channels  for  cultural,  educational,  health,  social
 5    service, civic, 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-                LRB9216532RHrh
 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  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE
18    NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19    we strongly urge RCN to act in  good  faith  and  immediately
20    honor  its payment obligations to CAN TV and to the people of
21    the City of Chicago; and be it further

22        RESOLVED, That a suitable  copy  of  this  resolution  be
23    presented to Eric Kurtz, Vice President of RCN.

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