Ed Asner Attacks Progressive LA City Council on Public Access Demise

Los Angeles CA Full Disclosure Network® presents a nine minute video news blog with Ed Asner who appears to attack the "progressive" members of the Los Angeles City Council and challenges them to stop the neglect of the public cable access television channels and to start funding the facilities here in the heart of the media world and Hollywood California. Asner, was especially critical of the City's practice of diverting the vast majority of $25 million in annual cable franchise fees, paid by the cable operators, into the city's general fund rather than supporting the public access channels, as it was intended

FORMIDABLE FORCES FIGHT DEMISE
Ed Asner is considered one of the most prominent activist actors of his time. He has emerged as the second political powerhouse to voice concern about government actions that would destroy America's public access cable television system, joining Stanley Sheinbaum, the former UC Regent and President of the L A Police Commission who has been waging a campaign to convince the California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, to file for injunctive relief to stop the closing of the Time Warner Cable public access channels in Los Angeles.

CITY FAILS TO PROTECT PUBLIC CHANNELS
Without opposition from the Mayor or the City Council of Los Angeles, Time Warner Cable has shut down public access cable channels in I.A. as of January 1, 2009. The City has failed to designate or provide for even one public access channel to fill the void, while approving a plan to retain four government controlled public cable channels.

PROGRESSIVE COUNCIL ACUSED OF KILLING FREE SPEECH
Asner, who won seven Emmy awards for his “Lou Grant” TV series focusing on the news gathering and reporting operations, tells Full Disclosure of his concern that the “Progressive" members of the L. A. City Council have lost their way and forgotten about the importance of free expression and the public's right to public "venting" their issues of concern.

POLITICAL POWERHOUSE TO SAVE PUBLIC ACCESS CABLE IN L.A.?

Los Angeles CA Political powerhouse Stanley Sheinbaum, former Regent of the University of California (appointed by Gov. Gerry Brown) and former President of the Los Angeles Police Commission has jumped into the fight to save public access cable channels and studios in Los Angeles. Appearing in aFull Disclosure Network® Video News Blog (ten minutes) Mr. Sheinbaum describes why he wrote a letter appealing to Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to intervene.

In this exclusive interview with the Full Disclosure host Leslie Dutton,Sheinbaum talks about the importance of having public access cable operations in Los Angeles. As a long time benefactor of the ACLU Foundation and close associate of Ramona Ripston, of the ACLU of Southern California, Sheinbaum says that “public access is important to keep an arm on government.”

In an urgent letter to California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr. , Mr. Sheinbaum appeals to him to seek emergency injunctive relief to stop Time Warner Cable from shutting down the 14 public access studios and channels in Los Angeles on December 31, 2008 until such time as the City has made arrangements to replace the facilities.

Letters from other organizations who have appealed to the Attorney General along with Stanley Sheinbaum are:

• David R. Hernandez, Los Angeles Public Access Coalition
• THE CAUCUS of Producers, Directors, Writers & New Media
• Full Disclosure Network® (send Automated letter to the AG click here)

BREAKING NEWS: On December 17, 2008 Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick released the Audit Report on the two City-run government cable channels. In that report she calls for “more diverse programming and reducing costs and enhancing revenues.” Read the Audit Report that is certain to cause concern among independent public access producers, who may be required to pay fees to have their programs appear on public access channels should the City take over the operations after December 31, 2008.

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.

Can Closure of Public Access Channels be Stopped? By L.A. City Attorney or Council?

DAVID R. HERNANDEZ,

PRES. L. A. PUBLIC ACCESS COALITION http://www.savepublicaccess.wordpress.com/

Los Angeles, CA Producers and community activists are mustering forces to rally support for saving the public cable channels and public access studios in Los Angeles, at a full City Council hearing to be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 at 10 a.m. in the City Council Chanbers at 200 No. Spring Street, 3rd Floor.

CITY ATTORNEY TO FILE FOR INJUNCTION?
According to David R. Hernandez, President of the L.A. Public Access Coalition (LAPAC) in addition to the City Council's consderations on Wednesday, City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo is considering a request made by the LAPAC to seek an Injunction under the California Business and Professions Code 17200 to prevent Time Warner Cable from closing down fourteen public access studios and channels until such time as the City has provided alternative and equal facilities in their place.

PUBLIC STUDIO CLOSURE UNETHICAL?
In a letter dated November 30, 2008 Hernandez contends "the action of (Time Warner) closing fourteen public access sutdios offends public policy, is immoral, unethical, oppressive, unscrupulous and causes substantial injury to consumers who will be prevented from viewing independent programs on the City Public Access channels. Read the entire letter here.

COUNCIL TO SEIZE CONTROL OF PUBLIC CHANNELS
On November 22, 2008 the L. A. Council Committee on Information Technology Agency (ITA) approved a recommendation to consolidate all the public access channels into four government controlled channels and sent it on the the Full Council for final approval.

STATE LAW CREATED LOOPHOLE
The controversy surrounding the Time Warner Cable plans to close all public access operations by December 31, 2008 stems from legislation (DIVCA) enacted in 2007 establishing a State Franchising system under the oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission whereby
cable operators pay a franchising fee to the Cities in leiu of operating and maintaining the public access studios and channels. See ITA website for description of recommendations.

L A PUBLIC ACCESS COALITION TO TESTIFY AT HEARING
In addition to civic leader and Producer David Hernandez, some of the LAPAC group expected to attend and speak at the hearing are:

• Shane Devins, Producer
• Missy Woodward, Producer Critter Crusades
• Sally Hampton, Civic Activist
• Dr. Dan Wiseman, Producer Your Neighborhood Council
• Charlie Mount Classic Arts Showcase
• Leslie Dutton, Producer, Full Disclosure Network
• Michael Cohen, Producer
• Dr. Susan Block, Producer
• Charlotte Laws, Producer
• Elaine Brown, Producer
• Lady Cage-Barile, Producer
• Keith Hardine, Producer