ACM on the Hill Recap
March 18, 2019
A big thank you to all the ACM members who came together in Washington DC last week for our Day on the Hill. Volunteers made visits to Congressional offices in MA, MN, IL, CA, WA, PA, OH and NY - asking Senators and Representatives to support community television and tell the FCC to back off its proposed rules on "in-kind" services.
As a result of our work in Congress, we understand we will see more letters from Congress to the FCC in the coming days!
Another smaller group was at the FCC that day talking with Commission staff about the impacts of the rule-making and its legality.
It was clear from discussions with the FCC that the rule-making is not a top priority, but that we should be concerned about the cable industry's push to either effectively eliminate franchise fees or force communities to drop channels. We'll be following up in coming days and weeks.
What's also clear is that community voices ARE making a difference in the discussions in DC. Many of the Congressional offices we visited said they were following the rule-making or had heard about it from people in their home states and districts. That outreach to engage Congress is vital as we move forward, so keep promoting the ACM letter generator and put those phone calls in to your members of Congress to oppose the FNPRM!
Good Luck Melissa
It's with gratitude that we are saying goodbye to Melissa Place, our Chief Operating Officer in Minneapolis, who is leaving us at the end of the month for a new opportunity.
Melissa has supported ACM and the Foundation of ACM for the past six years, and she has been essential to our success. I could not have done my job without her support and vision, and I know the Board of Directors feels the same way.
Good luck in your new endeavors, Melissa! You will be missed!
Mike Wassenaar
President & CEO
The Alliance for Community Media