Run, Jesse, Run...Away From "KevMart," That Is

After reading this post from Matt Stoller at Open Left today, I think it’s high time for The Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition to go on the record once and for all as opposing the “a la carte” cable idea proposed by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, especially since Stoller’s post describes so well the steps taken by Sprint, Comcast and other corporations to “get a leg up” on this issue as well as Net Neutrality and thus claim to speak for minority interests.

As noted in the post…

On the same day and location of the hearing (in which Comcast hired a crowd to sit in an FCC hearing on net neutrality so interested citizens couldn't get a spot to speak – typical), the Boston and Cambridge, Mass., branches of the NAACP plan to host a "take back our media" rally, according to a flier that was circulated on the Internet.

The flier includes quotations from several civil rights groups criticizing Martin's policies on media ownership. The Rev. Jesse Jackson was quoted as claiming Martin supports a "massive new and unjustified welfare for the rich program."

But in a statement Friday, Jackson denied making such a comment and said it does not reflect his position or that of his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. "We have always enjoyed a constructive relationship with the FCC and look forward to continuing it," the statement said.

Martin defended his efforts as FCC chairman, saying the agency has been "active and proactive in taking steps to increase minority ownership."

Most of the quotations took issue at Martin's efforts to push cable operators to offer channels on an a la carte basis. His proposal has met with opposition from the industry, which says it would hurt minority programming.

The flier initially did not include the rally sponsors. A later version, supplied to the AP by a public relations firm, included the NAACP's Boston and Cambridge branches as organizers.

According to Karen Payne, president of the Boston branch of the civil rights group, the rally was sparked by the sale of Boston radio station WILD-FM in 2006. The station's urban format was popular in the black community.

Payne said the NAACP had not authorized the release of the flier, and that as of Friday night, it was still in the draft stages.

However, as noted in this prior post…

…(they) say full channel choice will result in extra costs for customers, who already pay an average of $40 each month for "extended basic cable" which usually includes between 70 and 80 channels.

"Under an a la carte plan, that same $40 would probably result in a handful of channels, fewer than 10," says Brian Dietz, spokesman for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, an industry trade group in Washington. The existing "bundle" plans provide "the best value and widest variety of programming for the customer," he says.

…

…Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D) of California, warned in a newspaper column last month that "the cable industry's most exciting new talent - scores of programs for Latinos, African-Americans, women and others - would be the first casualties" of an a la carte system because they wouldn't be able to reach enough viewers to survive.

Jesse Jackson and others who claim to speak for minorities should not only categorically oppose a la carte cable, they should fully embrace Net Neutrality. As I and others have said repeatedly, Martin cares about consolidating the corporate voice to the exclusion of everyone else.

Why I need to point that out to someone who alleges to be as astute as Jackson is something I can’t totally comprehend.

And speaking of Comcast, here's more information on buying Verizon FIOS instead if it's offered in your neighborhood (boo hiss towards Circuit City, though).

Update: Kudos to John Kerry for this.