ABC Nightline Exposes Full Disclosure & Public Access Controversy: Video (5 min)

Los Angeles, CA. The Full Disclosure Network® presents a five minute exclusive video report on the ABC Nightline segment videotaped Tuesday, December 16th covering the campaign to save the public access cable channels with behind the scenes footage from the ABC interview with Leslie Dutton. The ABC Nightline segment will air nationwide on January 9, 2009 at 11:30 p.m.

APPEAL TO ATTORNEY GENERAL:

Host Leslie Dutton tells ABC Nightline that the independent producers’ have begun a campaign to enlist the California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to file for emergency injunctive relief to stop Time Warner Cable from shutting down 14 public access studios and channels on December 31, 2008. These public channels been serving cable subscribers and producers in Los Angeles for over 25 years.

Among the groups and individuals sending letters to the Attorney General are:

• Los Angeles Public Access Coalition, David Hernandez, President
• The Caucus of Producers, Writers, Directors & the New Media
• Full Disclosure Network, Leslie Dutton
• PEG Access Support Groups: alliance-announce@lists.alliancecm.org; access-forum@lists.alliancecm.org; ACM-West@yahoogroups.com

CONTROL OF PUBLIC CHANNELS:
With the apparent approval of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the public access issue languished, without Council attention or concern, for almost two years until the Time Warner deadline approached and the Holiday Season arrived. With very little time for the public to react, only then did the City Council push through plans to consolidate the 14 public access cable channels into four channels under government control and they failed to provide for even one dedicated public channel.

AFTER THOUGHT:
Instead when the public objected , the Council approved an “after thought”, verbal motion that was sent to the Budget and Finance Committee requesting an investigation into possible funding. No date has been set for a hearing before the Budget & Finance Committee, nor is it know if there search for funding has begun. See Council file here: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2006/06-2818_ca_12-03-08.pdf

SEND AUTOMATED LETTER TO AG:
At the end of the video viewers are asked to send an automated letter to the Attorney General using a link below the video screen on the webpage. The letter urges the AG to file for injunctive relief under the Business & Professions code 17200, Sec. 3 to prevent Time Warner from shutting down the City's public access channels and studios, until such time as the City has replaced the facilities.