Action Alert: Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin has introduced the Community Access Preservation Act to the House of Representatives to preserve and protect public access television channels nationwide. Public, educational and governmental channels (PEG's) and the staffing, facilities, equipment and training to operate them, are the small price cable monopolies pay to the community for unfettered access to consumers with little competition. These bits of the broadcast spectrum reserved for the needs of the people are priceless. They cannot be allowed to revert back to the private market without a fight. Today's PEGS are the community media access centers of tomorrow and play a very important role in governmental transparency, educational opportunity, technology training and the ability of unheard voices to tell their stories. Statewide franchising, sold to gulliable legislators as "increasing competition in the cable market to lower prices for consumers" has been a disaster, decimating PEG channels across the country. See a 12-1 article on the impact of statewide franchising in the state of Wisconsin. (It didn't lower the cable bills). This law will not have an easy time passing: it is up to the independent media community to put it on the agenda. PLEASE take a minute and ask your Congressional representatives to co-sponsor H.R 3745. If you don't live in Anna Eshoo or Sam Farr's district, they haven't and they may not until they hear from you! Easy web tool here.