Letter: Tell Kingston mayor to support public access television - Daily Freeman

Dear Editor, 

The city of Kingston, N.Y., receives $410,000 in cable franchise fees from cable television subscribers, and doesn’t direct any funds to the public access station. Franchise fees are paid to local governments as compensation for Spectrum cable (or Charter’s) use of the public rights-of-way and easements. 

A franchise agreement should include a studio, channel lineup, rates and a budget line for Public Access Television. 

 Kingston Public Access is a public, educational and government access channel serving the City of Kingston and the the towns of Esopus, Hurley, Kingston, Marbletown, Rosendale and Ulster. Kingston Public Access’s locally produced programming is carried on Spectrum on Channel 23, currently called Esopus Community TV. 

Tell Kingston Mayor Steve Noble to support public access television. 

Sign the online petition! Go to https://chng.it/JXpFjsvfJL. 

Clark Richters Sr. 

Kingston, N.Y. The writer is a former commissioner/producer at Channel 23.