Philadelphia Community Access Coalition
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MS. GILBERT: Thank you for the opportunity to speak up for public access TV in Philadelphia. My name is Phyllis Gilbert. I'm the Director of Peace Action - Delaware Valley, with approximately 2,500 members locally; and nationally, 60,000 in 27 states.

As a grass-roots and mostly volunteer organization, se spend many long hours reaching out to the general public with our message of rebuilding our communities for the sake of all peoples.

The reason for our spending more and more hours communicating to our diverse and struggling public is that affordable avenues of communication are less and less available. As late as the 1970s, the Fairness Doctrine was followed by radio managers. That policy permitted those who had an opposing view to one espoused by a presenter on the radio, the public person could request and conceive receive air time to give that opposing view.

One kind of an example, when PECO Energy has promoted nuclear power as a good source of providing energy, there was a huge public relations budget. People could call in and give an opposing view and explain that nuclear power was not such a good thing for the community because of the nuclear waste. But unfortunately, the Fairness Doctrine implementation has faded away since the 1980s.

Presently, to encourage an electronic media outlet like radio or TV to cover the work of most human service, cultural or labor organizations' efforts, it takes constant encouragement or cajoling often resulting in either no coverage or a very few seconds the radio or on TV.

This problem will only get worse since media corporations continues to merge -- for example, Comcast and Greater Media here in Philadelphia -- and have more power to control content and exclude grass-roots organizations who frequently disagree with the corporate giants' message.

Philadelphians are said to have a bad image of themselves. No wonder. When TV constantly portrays and glorifies violence and other problems without any balance of the community-building activities such as the enhancing wall murals around Philadelphia and the many community gardens springing up around the city, and our highly-motivating simulation process, which is used to teach economics in some Philadelphia schools. These are all positive examples of good things happening in our communities. These positive activities need access to wider public view.

The mayor claims that the public doesn't want public access. I am here to tell him that the public doesn't know about that opportunity which is denied in Philadelphia but flourishing in all other major cities across our nation.

The Public Access Coalition, another volunteer organization, has diligently met with many groups but again is hampered by limited volunteer time, very limited funds, if any, and no access to the TV airways to let the public mow about this wonderful opportunity.

I would like to reiterate that this is a matter of democracy. Sadly in my view, it seems that the mayor and those Councilpeople who have opposed public access TV have responded to the money which Comcast and other corporate giants have contributed to their campaigns. And to verify this view on my part, I am going to do research and bring those specifics to the attention of Council and the Mayor.

And so let me thank you again for this opportunity --

COUNCILMAN COHEN: And to the public in general.

MS. GILBERT: Well, sure. If we can get access to TV, right?

But perhaps that would be a good campaign issue. And also, that certainly relates to the campaign finance bill which Councilman Ortiz -- and I would bet that David is also in on that -- is trying to promote.

I do thank you again for this opportunity, and we will work diligently to support the positive efforts of your committee to make this happen in Philadelphia.

COUNCILMAN COHEN: Thank you.

(Applause.)

COUNCILMAN COHEN: Why don't you go and then we'll go right around.

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