FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2003
Contact: Allan Gomez
312-738-1400
agomez@cantv.org
On January 7, 2004, RCN defaulted on a $215,000 payment to CAN TV for cable area 2. This is the second major default on a CAN TV payment in two years' time. In addition, RCN is refusing to follow the terms
of the City of Chicago's amendment to the cable areas 3 & 4 franchise agreements approved just over a
year ago which calls for RCN to enter good faith negotiations with the City following a temporary
suspension of operation in those two areas. This amendment followed months of negotiations between RCN
and the City of Chicago after RCN defaulted in its area 2, 3 & 4 obligations to both the City and CAN TV
- including a failure to make payments under agreements with CAN TV of $645,000. This amount was paid in
full with interest in September of 2002 after 8 months of public protest.
RCN points to a bad economy as the reason it wants to pull out of cable areas 3 & 4. In addition to
pulling out of those two areas, RCN is attempting to halt construction in cable area 2 and is seeking to
drastically reduce its funding obligation to CAN TV in that area. The total funding at stake is one
fourth of the annual budget for CAN TV, Chicago's only public access outlet. Chicago residents face the
loss of cable competition in three out of five cable areas in Chicago, which will lead to a monopoly in
Chicago's cable market.
CAN TV Executive Director Barbara Popovic states, "This default by RCN shortchanges the public. Any
citizen will tell you that despite difficult economic times they are expected to meet their payment
obligations. RCN made a commitment to the public. It needs to honor that commitment."
Chicago Access Network Television (CAN TV) gives every Chicagoan a voice on cable television by
providing live call-in programs, video training, facilities, equipment, and channel time for Chicago
residents and nonprofit groups. Cable channels CAN TV19, 21, 27, 36 and 42 reach more than a million
viewers in the City of Chicago. CAN TV will provide regular updates on the RCN default at www.cantv.org/rcn or residents can call (312) 738-1400.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this
website are those of the individual members of Chicago Media
Action who authored them, and not necessarily those of the entire
membership of Chicago Media Action, nor of Chicago Media Action
as an organization.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.