WHEREAS the Sierra Nevada Community Access Television (SNCAT) system has been a valuable community asset for almost two decades, and

WHEREAS public, educational and government (PEG) access stations serve a vital need not addressed by other media, and

WHEREAS Reno-Sparks NAACP Branch No. 1112 has long been involved with the SNCAT system at every level, including the participation of three SNCAT founding board members and as a longtime program producer (NAACP Today), and

WHEREAS Branch members have also had long relationships with SNCAT as independent producers of programs important to the community, and

WHEREAS Charter Communications has announced that it wants to move the PEG stations to the higher-cost, lower-audience digital tier, and

WHEREAS this lineup shift will unfairly impact senior citizens and those of fixed and lower incomes who are often the primary consumers of the PEG channels, and

WHEREAS this lineup shift stands to severely reduce the audience of the PEG channels, and

WHEREAS the City of Reno and U.S. Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., have gone on record as opposing Charter's decision and are willing to take the matter to court, and

WHEREAS Nevada State Assemblymembers Bernie Anderson and Debbie Smith, both D-Sparks, Sheila Leslie and David Bobzien, both D-Reno, and Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, are proposing legislation to prevent any such action by cable companies in the future,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that NAACP Reno-Sparks Branch No. 1112 opposes Charter Communications attempt to move the PEG channels to the digital tier, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that NAACP Reno-Sparks Branch No. 1112 supports SNCAT producers and area cable ratepayers, Sen. Reid, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell and Reno Councilmembers Aiazzi, Dortch, Hascheff, Sferrazza and Zadra in their efforts to prevent the channel shift.

DATED THIS 4th DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2008

NAACP RENO-SPARKS BRANCH 1112

by Lucille Adin
President