KEEP LOCAL TV LOCAL — VOTE FOR LOCAL TV!

There are those today who wish to devalue Local TV, to the benefit of national Cable and Satellite companies.  Some are in Congress, some are large national conglomerates who simply wish to profit at the expense of Local television stations such as your favorite station – KYOU in Ottumwa, IA or Kirksville, MO.

Many hope you won’t notice, that you think your Local, free-over-the-air TV station is just another Cable or Satellite channel which you must pay for.  They think you won’t miss all that Local television provides for you and everyone else in your Local community.

But, you will notice!

Did you know that:

1.  Local television stations like KYOU and KTVO are all licensed by the federal government and are required to meet Local community standards?

2. Local television stations are operated in the Local public interest by your Local neighbors?

3. Cable and Satellite channels like CNN, ESPN and others are not licensed and have no obligation to serve the Local interest in Ottumwa.  These channels have no employees in Ottumwa or Kirksville?

4. National Cable and Satellite channels have no Local content and are not required to serve the Local public interest.  They can telecast objectionable programming without consequence?

5. Local TV stations like KYOU, by law must maintain a main studio Locally and a public file detailing its operations in the Local community?

6. Cable and Satellite channels are not required to maintain a public file or anything else related to service to the Local community?

7. Local TV stations must comply with strict rules for broadcasting political advertising and by law must not discriminate in selling advertising to candidates?

8. Periodic Federal re-licensing ensures that Local TV stations comply with the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?

9. Cable and Satellite channels are not subject to such rules. They are not licensed to serve Local communities by the FCC?

1. Local TV station serve the youth in Local communities with educational programming and safe-guards against inappropriate content?

1. Local TV stations donate funding and airtime to charities that support our youth?

1. Local TV stations nationwide contribute and help raise $10 billion annually for public service?

1. Local TV stations keep you up to date with local issues, local weather, local school closings.  Cable and Satellite channels do not?

1. Local TV stations bring you local sports and the teams that are most loved locally.  Cable and Satellite channels focus on what will get them the largest ratings nationwide?

1. Cable and Satellite channels have no mandated obligation to serve our children or to provide public service to others in our Local communities?

1. If the only newspaper you could read is USA Today and the only TV news you could watch is CNN or one of the other national Cable news channels, who would cover the news, weather and sports in Ottumwa?  Who would hold Local civic and business leaders accountable?  Who would protect residents from Local scams?  Who will get the message out to help raise funds for Local charities? Who would be there for us in weather emergencies?  Who would connect us with what’s happening in town?

1. Localism is at the forefront of Local TV stations’ operations.  In emergency situations, it is the Local broadcaster, not the Cable or Satellite companies, on the scene providing the public with timely, and often lifesaving, information.  Localism simply is not in the DNA or in the business models of national Cable and Satellite operators.  Localism is what separates Local television stations from all the other channels?

Did you know that the answer to all of these questions is “YES!”?

Local TV stations bring our communities together, all over America.  Preserve that irreplaceable Local asset and support your home town licensed Local TV stations….All of them. Where would we be without them?

Please contact your representatives in Congress today to show your support for Local TV all over America.  Tell them you do not wish to see the boundaries of your Local television market redrawn. Tell them you wish to see the core concept of Localism protected, maintained and strengthened.  Tell them that, Satellite TV providers, like Cable TV providers should offer the services of every Local TV station in every Local TV market in America.

Tell your neighbors and let your representatives hear from you.

Here is how to contact your representatives in Congress:

Iowa Senators of the 110^th Congress

Chuck Grassley (R – IA)  — Phone (202) 224-3744

135 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC

20510

Reach him via e-mail – click here

Tom Harkin (D – IA) — Phone (202) 224-3254

731 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC

20510

Reach him via e-mail – click here

Missouri Senators of the 110^th Congress

Christopher S. Bond (R – MO) – Phone (202) 224-5721

274 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC

20510

Reach him via e-mail – click here

Claire McCaskill (D – MO) – Phone (202) 224-6154

717 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC

20510

Reach her via e-mail – click here

Tags: local tv, localism

This entry was posted on February 8, 2010 at 1:58 pm and is filed under Editorials, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.