Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is working to ensure the local voices are not silenced as the video programming landscape changes.  She has recently introduced the Community Access Preservation (CAP) Act of 2009 (H.R. 3745).     CAP asks that the following items be addressed for public, educational, and government (PEG) access channels:

• Allow PEG fees to be used for any PEG-related purposes.   Currently, community media organizations, such as KCM, may only use PEG fees for capital improvement expenses and not for operating expenses, such as staff salaries, repair and maintenance of equipment, insurance, and more.
• Require PEG channels to be carried in the same manner as local broadcast channels.   AT&T U-Verse places PEG access programming in a menu-format on its Channel 99. 
• Require the FCC to study the effect that state video franchise laws have had on PEG channels, and require operators to provide the greater of the support required under state laws, or the support historically provided for PEG access.   Currently, KCM receives $0.20 per directly billed subscriber, per month for its capital improvement expenses.   Wisconsin 2007 Act 42, signed into law by Governor Doyle in December 2007, places a sunset clause on these funds.  After December 31, 2010, video service providers, Time Warner Cable and AT&T, may cease providing these funds for KCM.   Other Wisconsin community media organizations are also affected by this State law.   Unless these organizations are able to successfully raise a sufficient amount funds through other means, the Kenosha Media Center and many other media centers in Wisconsin will close for lack of funds.
• Make cable television-related laws and regulations applicable to all landline video providers.

Congresswoman Baldwin's legislation is supported by the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) and the National Association of Telecommunication Operators and Advisors.