PEG Closures Subject of Nationwide Benton Study

[Source: Alliance for Communications Democracy, November 24, 2010]

In the wake of increased news reports on threats to the nation's largest network of community-based media channels, the Alliance for Communications Democracy (ACD) announced a Benton Foundation grant to study the causes and extent of funding cuts and closures of Public, Educational and Government (PEG) Access channels in the United States.

"The Benton Foundation previously studied the decrease in coverage of local public affairs by commercial media, a trend that is detrimental to the local community," notes Benton Chairman and CEO, Charles Benton. "This grant will help determine the causes of the troubling erosion of PEG Access, one of the primary public benefits to have resulted from cable franchising."

"In an era of increased media consolidation, PEG channels welcome a diversity of speakers, encourage civic programming, and connect viewers with jobs, health and housing information," said ACD officer, Barbara Popovic of CAN TV in Chicago. "It's a resource we can't afford to lose."

The study will be conducted by The Buske Group, a Sacramento based consulting firm.

The Benton Foundation works to ensure that media and telecommunications serve the public interest and enhance our democracy. It pursues this mission by seeking policy solutions that support the values of access, diversity and equity, and by demonstrating the value of media and telecommunications to improve the quality of life for all Americans.

The ACD was founded over twenty years ago to preserve and strengthen community access to media through participation in constitutional questions and court cases involving community media.