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Noncommercial Information Services



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TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT - INFORMATION POLICY NOTE
(please distribute freely)

May 14, 1994

The table of contents for the paper Current Examples of 
Preferences For Noncommercial Information Services is attached.  The 
paper, written by Phyllis Turner of the Taxpayer Assets Project, 
specifically describes nonprofit postal rates, spectrum reservation for 
noncommercial uses, funding of noncommercial broadcasting, and PEG access 
for cable television.  

You can obtain a copy of the paper by emailing mike@essential.org.  The 
paper is also available by FTP, gopher or WAIS from cpsr.org, ie. 
FTP cpsr.org.  The file is in the taxpayer_assets directory under the 
name Non-commercial_Preference.



                          CURRENT EXAMPLES OF 
                            PREFERENCES FOR 
                   NONCOMMERCIAL INFORMATION SERVICES:

                                    
                       THE NONPROFIT POSTAL RATE,
                        SPECTRUM RESERVATION FOR
                           NONCOMMERCIAL USES,
                 FUNDING OF NONCOMMERCIAL BROADCASTING, 
                   AND PEG ACCESS FOR CABLE TELEVISION
                                    
                      Phyllis Turner, Staff Counsel
                         Taxpayer Assets Project
                             P.O. Box 19367
                          Washington, DC 20036
                             (202) 387-8030
                                    
                                    
                                    
                               May 4, 1994
                            Table of Contents

I.  UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE (USPS) PREFERRED RATE MAIL. . . . . . .  1
     A.  WHO IS ELIGIBLE?                                                 1
     B.  WHAT ARE ACCEPTABLE USES?                                        2
     C.  HOW ARE THEY PRICED?:  RATE SETTING PROCEDURE AND
          HISTORY                                                         3

II. BROADCAST TELEVISION AND RADIO SPECTRUM FOR
     NONCOMMERCIAL USE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
     A.  WHO QUALIFIES?                                                   5
     B.  ACCEPTABLE USES AND OTHER GOVERNING PROVISIONS OF
          NONCOMMERCIAL BROADCASTING                                      6
     C.  GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT FOR NONCOMMERCIAL
          BROADCASTING                                                    8
          1.  PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION GRANTS                            8
          2.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEMONSTRATIONS                          10
     D.  REQUIREMENTS FOR DEMOCRATIC CONTROL                             10

III.  PUBLIC BROADCASTING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
     A.  WHO CONTROLS FUNDING AND WHO QUALIFIES TO RECEIVE
          FUNDING                                                        10
          1.  WHAT IS CPB PERMITTED TO FUND?                             11
          2.  DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT TELEVISION
               SERVICE (ITVS)                                            12
     B.  ACCOUNTABILITY                                                  14
          1.  INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF PROGRAMMING                          14
          2.  COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARDS                                  14
          3.  OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS                                  15
          4.  NO OWNERSHIP OF PROGRAMMING, BROADCASTING,
               ETC.                                                      15
          5.  REPORTING REQUIREMENTS                                     15
          6.  RESTRICTION ON GOVERNMENT ENTERTAINMENT                    16
          7.  LIMITS ON ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSE;
               APPORTIONMENT OF APPROPRIATION                            16
          8.  EEO REQUIREMENTS                                           17
          9.  NEEDS OF MINORITIES AND OTHER GROUPS                       17

IV.  CABLE: PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL AND GOVERNMENTAL (PEG)
     ACCESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

V.  EXAMPLES OF USE OF PEG CHANNELS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
     A.  CHICAGO ACCESS CORPORATION                                      19
     B.  MULTNOMAH COMMUNITY TELEVISION AND PORTLAND CABLE
          ACCESS                                                         20
     C.  MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK                                  22

VI.  RESOURCE LIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23


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