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Video Access Alliance Applauds Governor Crist For Signing Cable TV Choice Bill
May 22, 2007
TALLAHASSEE – The Florida-based Video Access Alliance (VAA) applauds Governor Crist for taking a bold step that will save Floridians and estimated 141 million per year by signing The Consumer Choice Act of 2007.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill that will spark substantial economic development in Florida, increase consumers’ choice in the cable television market, provide competition in the marketplace and lower cable prices.
“Governor Crist and Florida’s state Senators and Representatives should be commended for passage of Florida House Bill 529, The Consumer Choice Act”, said Director of Communications VAA Paula Hoisington.
Florida House Bill 529 will allow for the implementation of a streamlined state franchise system for cable television and wireline video programming services.
“Eliminating patchwork regulations should encourage competition,” said Governor Charlie Crist, “which should, in turn, encourage providers to expand their product lines, be more responsive to consumer’s needs and lower costs.”
The groundbreaking legislation was endorsed and supported by a variety of Black community organizations.
Two huge supporters of The Consumer Choice Act of 2007 were the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators (FCBSL) and The Florida State Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Every one of Florida’s Black state legislators voted for the Consumer Choice Act of 2007 and the NAACP leaders, including state President Adora Obi Nweze, were clearly on the frontline in the fight to allow competition in the provision of multi-channel video programming services.
The African-American supporters of Consumer Choice demanded that equal access for all be a primary component of the legislation and the bill’s final draft that was presented to Governor Crist for his signature contained stipulations that cable and video providers must make their technology and services available to Florida communities and Florida residents without regard to considerations of race, ethnic background or income level.
Strong provisions allowing Black community and other community’s access to local Public, Education and Government (PEG) channels were an extremely important component of the cable franchise reform legislation and also very important to African American cable customers.
The Video Access Alliance joins other Black community organizations and African American telecommunications entrepreneurs in saluting Governor Charlie Crist and the sponsors and supporters of the Consumer Choice Act of 2007for their contributions to the passage of cable television and video franchise reforms that will greatly benefit everyone in the State of Florida.
CONTACT: Julia Johnson, Chairwoman
800-539-1470
www.videoaccessalliance.org
