THE PUBLIC MIND: URGE CONGRESS TO OVERRIDE CABLE VETO

To the Editor:

All of us in Southeast Missouri, Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois should take a minute to thank our members of Congress (Senate and House) for their recent vote in support of S.12, the Cable TV Consumer Protection and Competition Act. It's interesting that every member of Congress from our entire tri-state area voted for the bill protecting their constituents, we the consumers!

Everyone is very aware of the cable industry's misinformation campaign which filled our mailboxes, rang our phones and also ran in the newspaper and on radio. I'm personally happy that all our members of Congress saw through the misinformation and vote to support the consumers, senior citizens, broadcasters and other groups, including organized labor, who have endorse S.12.

Congress has done the right thing because this bill stops cable from continuing to be an unregulated monopoly. The bill will hold rates in line, improve customer service and increase competition for cable. No longer will cable be able to take free over-the-air TV signals and charge exorbitant rates for them!

Now that Congress has passed this bill, President Bush has decided to veto it. And now the cable industry is desperate to sell members of Congress off their previous pro-vote. We as citizens and consumers need to contact our members of Congress one more time and let them know we stand behind them even when White House pressure mounts! And we need to remind members of Congress about all the misinformation cable shoveled at them the first time.

Please, write or call our members of Congress and tell them to keep fighting for us, the consumers, by voting to override any veto of S.12.

Steven B. Engles

President/General Manager

Fox 23 KBSI-TV

Cape Girardeau