I Want My MTV - Cheaper!

He was standing in the rain with papers in his hand just opposite my driveway. I wasn't sure who he was, not suspecting a telco guy, so I walked out to my mailbox and offered him an umbrella. This was the invitation he was looking for to pitch Verizon's new 'all-in-one' wireless internet/phone service via the fiber optic cable Verizon just buried throughout the neighborhood. "Sir, thank you for the offer but I'm not quite ready to switch over. I already pressured the evil empire, TimeWarner last month to give me a comparable rate to yours and they agreed. Competition rules for the little people".

I'm so excited to see the telecommunication market grow because consumers always profits in areas with choice. All it takes is a simple phone call and rates can be dropped without fail in areas with competition. I've done it with my phone bill, cell phone bill, credit card interest rate and now internet connection. Now it's time for cable.

Back in 1996, the Telecom Act deregulated the communications industry and brought about widespread media consolidation. This allowed cable companies to monopolize, undoing decades of anti-trust measures. This proved a disaster for fair and accurate reporting of information, news, music and op-eds and perhaps out of this Act grew the internet. Politicians also touted that the Act would save Americans money but cable bills keep climbing while big media gobbles up local media. But I think I see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

Check out the TV4US website at www.wewantchoice.com. Legislation is pushing a video franchising bill called COPE that will allow telephone companies to enter the TV business. The video franchising bill is endorsed by several unions, manufacturers and associations so it sounds promising. Television Ads for COPE won't be airing on Time Warner anytime soon but the internet offers downloads of them with Real Player. For more information on this and other startling communication news check out my favorite nonpartisan organization working to reform the media at Freepress.net.