Activist Group Officials Discuss 2006 Telecom Landscape

[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Media ownership, Internet neutrality and video franchising are likely to be the biggest issues in telecommunications and media reform for 2006, according to officials from the media policy reform group Free Press. Ben Scott, director of Free Press' Washington office, said the media ownership issue "will return in 2006, maybe in February, maybe in April, or maybe in the summer." Scott and the others said it is imperative for media activists to fight for "network neutrality," or the principle that cable and telecom companies not be permitted to dictate the content, software or devices that consumers use to access the Internet. Mr. Scott also said the group does not care whether video franchising is done locally, statewide or nationally, as long as there are "baseline protections" for consumers. Referring to Texas legislation last year creating a statewide franchise, he said, "There are a lot of localities that are better off under that statewide bill then they were before."
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