Chad Johnston's blog

So, sure, I work in the noncommercial media business and am a die-hard media reform activist so I'm a little more sensitive to these issues, but... this one made me mad enough to post. This is now day two that our community has been forced to see a giant ad being towed by a small plane. It's all part of a media campaign for the insurance company Geico (who will soon have it's very own TV show). It makes me sick that this thing is flying back and forth over the Town.

On one level, it's an environmental issue; a plane wasting fuel flying here and there for no other purpose than branding an image into our collective brains. On another level, that constant noise is really annoying. The plane flies very slowly and low to the ground, so it's very audible. On anther level, it's estimated that the average American is exposed to 2,500 ads a day. That's a lot of advertisements!

As you may know, last session the State Legislature passed a law which allows cable and phone companies to avoid many of the public service requirements that have existed for over 30 years. Those requirements mainly have to do with channel space and support for Community Media Centers, like Chapel Hill's own The Peoples Channel, and Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) Access channels. The bill has turned out to be a very serious blow to local governments and nonprofits like us. Many of us concerned with the legislation worked together to produce a new piece of legislation that would remedy two major problems with the bill: funding for Community Media Center and PEG channels, and deployment of broadband to rural and economically distressed communities.

The bill, S-1068 moved along quickly in the Senate and is now on the House side, but there is a fear that they won't take it on before the session ends or at all. I haven't given a call to action thus far because we thought this bill would have no problems and I know you all have busy lives. However, we need to make calls by tomorrow (Wednesday).