Fund Independent, Alternative and Local Media, Fund DCAT!

I am a La Plata County resident and I want my county government to fund Durango Community Access TV! I believe that access to independent, alternative and local media is indispensable to a free and informed public and a successful democracy.

As a community member, I understand that the county designates a single cable television company to provide service to area through a franchise agreement. And since this franchise agreement effectively creates a monopoly on cable television programming in the area, it is vital for the county to fund an alternate media source.

As a cable subscriber or as a tax payer, I want to see a minimum of 20 percent of franchise fees and 1/3 of PEG access equipment fees, all which the county collects from its cable franchisee, used to protect community access to free speech on television by funding the area's public access television station, DCAT. It just makes sense.