Darkness falls in Gomorrah North

Reno, Nevada —where an acrobatic city council rolls over and plays dead for corporate greed.
That's entertainment.

"No matter how cynical you become, it's hard to keep up." — Lily Tomlin

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City of Reno asleep at the switch
Statewide News
Washington Watch

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Tales from the Dark Side...

     On Feb. 8, 1996, in a ceremony at the Library of Congress, President Clinton signed legislation revamping the telecommunications industry, saying it would "bring the future to our doorstep." [Courtesy of the New York Times e-bulletin.] EDITOR'S NOTE: Mssrs. Clinton, Gore and Gingrich forgot to mention how expensive their monopolistic future would become.

...and the Bright Side

     On February 8, 1928, a television image was sent across the Atlantic for the first time. (To mark the 75th anniversary in 2003, amateur radio operators in England and the U.S. repeated the experiment.) [Courtesy of longtime Nevada journalist Dennis Myers' Poor Denny's Almanac.]

 

DON'T GET MAD, GET EVEN! FIGHT BACK: JOIN RESURGE.TV, Nevada's new consumer organization MOLLY IVINS: Newspapers commit suicide by not covering stories important to people's lives

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Citizens Cable Compliance Committee Vacancies

In summer, 2005, the Reno City Council filled one vacancy on the Citizens Cable Compliance Committee by appointing Donald J. "Joe" Dowden. Founding member Noel Thornsberry resigned effective Oct. 15, 2005, given his relocation out of state. We wish him well and applaud his three years of outstanding service. Any Reno resident wishing to serve may contact City Clerk Lynnette Jones at (775) 334-2030 for an application, or apply via the city's website.

UPDATE 1-17-2006: In mid-December, the council reappointed Chuck Lanham but did not reappoint Andrew Barbano. The panel thus has two and very possibly three vacancies on a seven-member board. When it decided on December 1, 2005 (for the second time last year) not to extinguish the CCCC, the council charged the panel to review Charter's non-compliance issues and report back in January. As of this update, no meetings have been scheduled.

In early 2005, the City of Reno's Boards and Commissions Review Task Force recommended that the Citizens Cable Compliance Committee be eliminated. The task force agreed with McNeely Administration staff that city employees could do the job and that the committee is unnecessary. At its meeting of 23 Feb. 2005, the Reno City Council voted down the recommendation to kill the cable panel.

On 16 Nov. 2005, Councilman Dave Aiazzi killed the reappointments of CCCC Chair Chuck Lanham and Recording Secretary Andrew Barbano. He suggested agendizing the termination of the committee for Thursday, Dec. 1. Mayor Bob Cashell agreed, given that Community Relations Director Steven Wright is doing the job of regulation. (The mayor proceeded from incomplete information.)

It is ironic that the Dec. 1 agenda also includes the council's first consideration of the committee's Oct. 7 report finding Charter in noncompliance and a discussion of the city's federal legislative priorities, which should certainly include U.S. Sen. John Ensign's bill to eliminate franchise fees, just like State Sen. Randolph Townsend's, R-Reno, move in the latter stages of the 2005 Nevada legislature.

Does Charter merit deregulation by the City of Reno? Call, write, fax and/or e-mail the council and McNeely Administration with your opinion.

Charter cable in grotesque noncompliance
with new Reno franchise

     Ignoring a $54,000 study, the city and the cable company have reverted to the status quo ante. The study and the citizens committee empaneled afterward have been ignored for more than three years. Perhaps the committee's latest research will force results, but don't bet on it. As Reno's greatest mayor Barbara Bennett said a quarter-century ago, city hall is "infested with special interests." Nothing's changed.

Read the Reno Gazette-Journal's mild-mannered report of 10-7-2005
(Clark Kent, call your telephone booth.)

The Citizens Cable Compliance Committee meeting of Oct. 7 was not cablecast.
Download the agenda in Adobe Acrobat Reader from the city's website.

     At the Oct. 7 meeting, the committee regretfully accepted the resignation of founding member Noel Thornsberry effective Oct. 15, 2005. (Interested Reno residents may apply at the latter link). Mr. Thornsberry was presented with a letter of appreciation from Reno Mayor Bob Cashell for his three years of meritorious service.

     The committee voted unanimously (5-0 with Vice-Chair John Barber and new member Joe Dowden excused) to forward to the Reno City Council a finding of extensive Charter franchise non-compliance. We would have appreciated hearing from Charter Communications representatives at the meeting, but city staff incredibly did not invite them. (Charter has long been on notice of the committee's desire to have a representative at every meeting. At our January, 2003, meeting, Charter V.P. Marsha Berkbigler promised regular personal attendance, but has not followed through.)

     Reno Community Relations Director Steven Wright told the committee that the Oct. 7 meeting was "not about Charter." Well, it certainly was not about the great televised baseball game we were missing. The company promised Wright a response by Oct. 11. An update was published in the 11-27-2005 BARBWIRE in the Sunday Sparks Tribune.

     Stay tuned and keep your Tums dry.

     Be well. Raise hell.

     AB

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Carson City begins franchise renewal hearings
Reno Gazette-Journal 2-2-2005

CHARTER ANNOUNCES HUGE RATE HIKE
Attempt to mislead public about record of rate increases (1-21-2005)
SATELLITE COMPANIES FOLLOW CHARTER'S LEAD (1-29-2005)

A city that used franchise renewal to benefit its citizens – alas, it's in Michigan
Sault St. Marie News 1-18-2005

If you think that's impressive, take a look at Valdosta, Georgia
adelga.com 2-20-2004

Charter Tackles its Big Problem — Customer Service
St. Louis Post-Dispatch 2-01-05

Former Charter exec. Kalkwarf pleads guilty
St. Louis Business Journal 1-26-2005

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Reno City Council commits cable co-dependency: Charter must love us because they so sorely abuse us. So let's give them everything they ask for. After all, if they're corporate, they gotta be smarter than we are.

How the suits snookered the hicks and made them feel special
We warned 'em — Charter closes Reno call center, fires 40
Councilman Aiazzi re-defends April employment ploy
Charter tests end-run around regulation
Daily Sparks Tribune 8-1-2004, Comstock Chronicle 8-6-2004

DEREGULATION MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE SORRY
Charter files for complete deregulation in Reno, Sparks, Carson, Washoe and Clark counties. Municipalities must file objections by Nov. 28, 2004.
READ ALL ABOUT IT, THEN START CALLING YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
Daily Sparks Tribune 11-21-2004, Comstock Chronicle 11-26-2004

Update 11-30-2004: Download the opposition brief
Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader which you may download free at Adobe.com

Update 12-5-2004: Opposition may be deficient

12-9-2004 PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE CITY OF RENO'S
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS REVIEW TASK FORCE

CITIZENS CABLE COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE OVERVIEW
AND RESPONSES TO TASK FORCE QUESTIONS

CITY OF RENO STAFF OVERVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CITIZENS CABLE COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE BE GUTTED

    
      UPDATES: The City of Reno's Boards and Commissions Review Task Force recommended that the Citizens Cable Compliance Committee be eliminated. The task force agreed with McNeely Administration staff that city employees could do the job and that the committee is unnecessary. At its meeting of 23 Feb. 2005, the Reno City Council voted down the recommendation to kill the cable panel.

On 16 Nov. 2005, Councilman Dave Aiazzi killed the reappointments of CCCC Chair Chuck Lanham and Recording Secretary Andrew Barbano. He suggested agendizing the termination of the committee for Thursday, Dec. 1. Mayor Bob Cashell agreed, given that Community Relations Director Steven Wright is doing the job of regulation. (The mayor proceeded from incomplete information.)

It is ironic that the Dec. 1 agenda also includes the council's first consideration of the committee's Oct. 7 report finding Charter in noncompliance and a discussion of the city's federal legislative priorities, which should certainly include U.S. Sen. John Ensign's bill to eliminate franchise fees, just like State Sen. Randolph Townsend's, R-Reno, move in the latter stages of the 2005 Nevada legislature.

Does Charter merit deregulation by the City of Reno? Call, write, fax and/or e-mail the council and McNeely Administration with your opinion.

From "Cable Industry Economics" 3-4-2004 by George Kohl, Assistant to the President and Director of Research Communications Workers of America/AFL-CIO

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Accurate, unspun, unofficial information about the City of Reno's Cosmetic Cable Compliance Committee

2005 MEETINGS

As of the end of November, the CCCC has met three times in 2005, the most recent at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7,, at the new City Hall black tower across the street from the Mapes Hotel Memorial Graveyard and Posy Patch. Meetings are usually cablecast as they happen on Sierra Nevada Community Access Television (SNCAT) Sparks-Reno-Washoe Charter Channel 13 with several reruns thereafter. Stay tuned to this website and Barbwire by Barbano in each Sunday's Sparks Tribune. Click here to read the Feb. 20, 2005, agenda.

On 16 Nov. 2005, Councilman Dave Aiazzi killed the reappointments of CCCC Chair Chuck Lanham and Recording Secretary Andrew Barbano. He suggested agendizing the termination of the committee for Thursday, Dec. 1. Mayor Bob Cashell agreed, given that Community Relations Director Steven Wright is doing the job of regulation. (The mayor proceeded from incomplete information.)

It is ironic that the Dec. 1 agenda also includes the council's first consideration of the committee's Oct. 7 report finding Charter in noncompliance and a discussion of the city's federal legislative priorities, which should certainly include U.S. Sen. John Ensign's bill to eliminate franchise fees, just like State Sen. Randolph Townsend's, R-Reno, move in the latter stages of the 2005 Nevada legislature.

Does Charter merit deregulation by the City of Reno? Call, write, fax and/or e-mail the council and McNeely Administration with your opinion.

Please consider signing up for our mailing list.

Stay tuned, stay in touch and tell a friend.

Be well. Raise hell.

Andrew Barbano

Committee Vacancies

In summer, 2005, the Reno City Council filled one vacancy on the committee by appointing Donald J. "Joe" Dowden. Founding member Noel Thornsberry resigned effective Oct. 15, 2005, given his relocation out of state. We wish him well and applaud his three years of outstanding service. Any Reno resident wishing to serve may contact City Clerk Lynnette Jones at (775) 334-2030 for an application, or apply via the city's website.

UPDATE 1-17-2006: In mid-December, the council reappointed Chuck Lanham but did not reappoint Andrew Barbano. The panel thus has two and very possibly three vacancies on a seven-member board. When it decided on December 1, 2005 (for the second time last year) not to extinguish the CCCC, the council charged the panel to review Charter's non-compliance issues and report back in January. As of this update, no meetings have been scheduled.

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2004 MEETINGS

DISSED AGAIN — In a portent of indignities to come, our January 2004 meeting was kicked out of the council chambers by McNeely Administration staffers who scheduled a private party's function instead. We cannot cablecast our meetings outside the council chamber. We tried to move it to the following week but could not get a quorum. City officials continue to try to marginalize the citizens committee toward cosmetic status. They underestimate the streetfighters who sit thereon.

FEBRUARY 2004 MEETING — Click here to access the agenda.

MARCH MADNESS AND COLD APRIL SHOWERS

CCCC April 22, 2004, meeting —Round 2 begins with a slugfest

CCCC August 26, 2004, meeting and fallout therefrom
   10-8-2004 — CCCC makes a radical & visionary recommendation to the council. READ.
   10-13-2004 — McNeely Administration staff makes a negative recommendation, as usual. READ MORE.
   Dazed and confused by Councilman Dave Aiazzi, the council takes no action. READ IT AND WEEP.

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The Thursday, October 28, 2004, meeting was on, but TV was off, then the meeting was off. Click here to follow the bouncing ball.

2005 COSMETIC CABLE COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE COMPOSITION
(as of the election held at the 10 Feb. 2005 meeting)
Chuck Lanham, chair; John Barber, vice-chair; Andrew Barbano, recording secretary; Floyd Dean, Barbara Stone, Noel Thornsberry.

      UPDATE: In summer of 2005, the Reno City Council appointed Donald J. "Joe' Dowden to fill the sole vacancy. Founding member Noel Thornsberry resigned effective Oct. 15, 2005, given his relocation out of state. We wish him well and applaud his three years of outstanding service. Any Reno resident wishing to serve may contact City Clerk Lynnette Jones at (775) 334-2030 for an application, or apply via the city's website.

UPDATE 1-17-2006: In mid-December, the council reappointed Chuck Lanham but did not reappoint Andrew Barbano. The panel thus has two and very possibly three vacancies on a seven-member board. When it decided on December 1, 2005 (for the second time last year) not to extinguish the CCCC, the council charged the panel to review Charter's non-compliance issues and report back in January. As of this update, no meetings have been scheduled.

Current cable/telecom issues

2004 Cable TV Archive

2003 Cable TV Archive

2002 Cable TV Archive

     (Disclaimer to assuage the zootsuited censoristas at city hall: In case you haven't already noticed, this website is about as unofficial as respectable disrespectful protest can get. WARNING: The city's website was recently revamped, breaking just about every city document link from both this site and NevadaLabor.com. They make life so easy for cable ratepayers. This unofficial website represents the views of neither the City of Reno nor its Citizens Cable Compliance Committee.)

 

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