Hawaii State Legislature Passes Bill that will DESTROY AKAKU!
Yesterday, the Hawaii State Legislature passed a bill on first reading State House (HB784) and Senate (SB959) that would be disastrous for Akaku: Maui Community Television. This bill would essentially shut down our operations and gut community access media for Maui County. The bill proposes that the majority of the operating resources currently dedicated to Akaku's community service would be taken away and given to State and County agencies.
This = LESS COMMUNITY ACCESS & MORE GOVERNMENT/INDUSTRY CONTROL
The nitty gritty:
HB784 (SB959)
Measure Title: Relating to Cable Television
Report Title: PEG Programming; Maui; Allocation of Resources
Description: Requires cable franchise fees paid in connection with the
provision of cable service in Maui County to be distributed to Maui
community college, DOE, Maui County and Maui's PEG access entity.
Introducer(s): Hiraki (House), and Bunda (Senate)
READ THE FULL BILL HERE
The passing of this bill will mean that AKAKU, Maui's ONLY resource for community access to media will LOSE 2/3 OF IT'S CURRENT FUNDING! That means the people of Maui county will lose 2/3 of their access to media! This decision could allow this to happen in other parts of the country as well so let's STOP IT NOW BEFORE IT GETS OUT OF HAND!
We are looking to rally support from anyone and everyone interested in helping to protect the PUBLIC'S RIGHT to ACCESS to MEDIA and FREE SPEECH!
What do I have to say about it...watch this video:
Please post a comment and let me know your thoughts...please stay tuned to this blog for updates...
BIG MAHALO AND ALOHA!
Randy Mills
6 Comments:
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I am at a loss for words actually.....doesn't the government control enough already? what happened to "freedom of speech"? We all have to right to know what is going on in our communities and country - by this I mean to know the truth not what the media has been instructed to tell the public. If public access is taken away where are we going to get this information? Are you sure we are not being controlled by communists......
this is how you fight Randy.
don't let them doo it quietly.
document it all.
take your camera to the meetings.
interview people.
show us the station and what the community will lose if the bill is passed.
everything we do on TV...do it on this videoblog.
we'll get the word out.
wow.
i have two comments:
1) Keep video-documenting
2) Keep fighting.
Well a third comment would be: Even if you lose 2/3 of your funds, there must be something you can do. Work with the system, even while you are against it or against certain actions they do.
Good luck!
Raymond, Norway
Similar action against community access occurred in Columbus Ohio at level of city government budget. At the end of a contract to apply local cable-tv franchise fees to operate the community access station, funding ran out, and a lease on studio space lapsed. The video equipment purchased partly by donations was transferred to city government.
You should begin now to document whether donated funds were applied to purchase each piece of your equipment, since donors may have had no intention whatsoever to allow the donation to be used by elected officials and governmental agencies to portray themselves as the invited speakers at local businessmen's club meetings, etc.
You should warn all your video producers that any materials or tapes on your premises might be confiscated, if there is no definite plan to preserve anything if funding is lost.
It was difficult to alert the public about the threat against community access video in Columbus Ohio. Monopoly daily newspaper's reporters had been indoctrinated to regard "opinion" (if stated by one video producer) as unworthy of a news article. The reporter is accustomed to receive and accept political party and trade association press releases. To perpetuate a tyranny of a majority is not what community access media ought to do.
If you have not already done so, go to every health-related 501(c)(3) organization in your community, and tell them that their access to community video facilities is about to end if the proposed bill is enacted. They may be unaware of the resource and how they could have used it.
Because big business is only concerned with profits supporting Randy's efforts will keep public television active. Losing this valuable resource is tantamount to giving up library access to open a video store. Stay strong Randy.
Your Grandmother
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