CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ALERT, February 22, 2005
http://www.chicagomediaaction.org

In this alert:
* The future of community internet in Illinois
* WZRD goes off the air, and gets back on the air

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Illinois residents who are interested in the future of the internet and
telephone technology will be interested in a state law which is scheduled
for revision in the next couple of months.   

The Illinois Telecommunications Act, the state's law which governs policy
pertaining to telecom and the internet, is expected to be rewritten in 2005
during the Illinois General Assembly, which is expected to end in May 2005.

Though many questions are likely to be raised during the rewrite, the main
issues might be those of control and cost.  Will communities be able to
create their own technological infrastructure based on community needs and
desires and timetables?  Or will communities be dependent on giant telecom
companies like SBC and Comcast whose primary concern is profit?  (This
touches on issues like the digital divide, challenges to corporate power,
and the rights of communities to shape their own future.)  

Committees in both the Illinois House and Senate are slated to begin
proceedings, and a state bill, Senate Bill 499, has already been introduced.
Read the bill and what it means (it's not good) here:

http://tinyurl.com/4bjlc

http://www.freepress.net/communityinternet/=ILbill

http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=1490

http://www.freepress.net/news/6843

We encourage Illinois residents to contact their state legislators and ask
that they maintain the right of Illinois municipalities to establish their own
community internet services, and to hold local public hearings on the Telecom
Rewrite.  

A suggested letter that you can use (and modify) is online here:

http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/news.php?id=282

You can contact your state senators and representatives here:

http://www.ilga.gov/

(click on "Legislator Lookup" under "Additional Resources")

You are also encouraged contact the members of the Illinois
Telecommunications Committee, which are listed here:

http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?CommitteeID=278&GA=94

This local-scale struggle for the internet's future is going on in (so
far) nine other states throughout the country.   To learn more of what's
happening nationally, you can visit:

http://freepress.net/communityinternet/

For Illinois, there is an active mailing list called Get Illinois Online,
which you're welcome to join to get more involved or to learn the latest
happenings:

http://www.getillinoisonline.org/

We especially encourage you to spread the word about this rewrite, and forward
this email to others.

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In recent weeks, the Chicago-area radio station WZRD (88.3 FM) had been off
the air because of licensing problems.  However, we are pleased to announce
that the FCC has granted WZRD temporary approval to resume broadcasting.
WZRD, along with all its progressive community programming (including
Democracy Now! twice weekdays at 7am and 8am), is back on the air.

In Chicago, Democracy Now is currently also airing on these stations during
these times:

* In parts of the northside: WLUW, 88.7 FM, Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays from
9am to 10am (www.wluw.org).

* In parts of the southside: WRTE, 90.5 FM, Monday through Thursday at 10pm,
Fridays at midnight, weekdays at 5am (www.wrte.org).

*** *** *** *** *** *** ***

This is an email from Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist
group devoted to media issues.

Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140  
Call toll-free: 1-866-260-7198  
Web: http://www.chicagomediaaction.org
E-mail: cma@chicagomediaaction.org

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