Bay Area Open Access Coalition Accuses AT&T of Censorship for Refusing to Air Open Access Ads.SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 1999-- The Bay Area Open Access Coalition today accused AT&T/TCI of censorship censorship, official prohibition or restriction of any type of expression believed to threaten the political, social, or moral order. It may be imposed by governmental authority, local or national, by a religious body, or occasionally by a powerful private group. for refusing to air an advertisement paid for by the Open Access Alliance because they deemed it to be "inappropriate." The Coalition is calling on the Board of Supervisors to "demand that AT&T/TCI open its cable network to all legitimate points of view" related to the open access debate. The Open Access Alliance, in coordination with the Bay Area Open Access Coalition, placed an issue advertisement supporting open access with local television stations and TCI (Trustworthy Computing Initiative) An umbrella term from Microsoft for its efforts to improve security in Windows. TCI was announced in 2002 after viruses such as Code Red and Nimda had succeeded in attacking numerous Windows computers. . While the television stations have aired the ad, said Katie Roper, Executive Director of the Bay Area Open Access Coalition, the AT&T/TCI cable network has refused to show it to viewers. At the same time, AT&T/TCI, through its front group, "Hands Off the Internet", have blanketed the City of San Francisco
"San Franciscans will not tolerate tol·er·ate v. 1. To allow without prohibiting or opposing; permit. 2. To put up with; endure. 3. To have tolerance for a substance or pathogen. one company playing the role of 'Big Brother' dictating what is news, what is entertainment, what individual citizens should be able to believe," said Roper. "It is sadly ironic that AT&T would introduce censorship, information control and content management into this debate on open access to the Internet." "We call on AT&T/TCI to respect the First Amendment and play fair," Roper added. "While AT&T/TCI may disagree with Verb 1. disagree with - not be very easily digestible; "Spicy food disagrees with some people" hurt - give trouble or pain to; "This exercise will hurt your back" the content of our ads, they have no right to gag the Coalition and stifle public debate on this critical issue -- particularly while inundating viewers with advertisements of their own." "We live in a free and open democracy, where our right to express our opinions is cherished," Roper continued. "Allowing one company to become the Orwellian Big Brother to manipulate manipulate To cause a security to sell at an artificial price. Although investment bankers are permitted to manipulate temporarily the stock they underwrite, most other forms of manipulation are illegal. the cable airwaves airwaves Noun, pl Informal radio waves used in radio and television broadcasting and the Internet is plain wrong and runs counter to the values of San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden ." In a new advertisement, The Open Access Alliance and Bay Area Open Access Coalition feature some of the broad consumer and citizen support for open access. The ad features the following San Francisco community leaders discussing why this issue matters to them: -0-
Amelita Pascual Executive Director of the South of Market Foundation
Darin Brannan Verio, Inc., a local Internet Service Provider
Comer Marshall Executive Director, Urban Economic Development
Corporation
David Bracker Executive Director, Arriba Juntos
Rose Pak Chinese Chamber of Commerce
-0- Note to Editors: For a copy of the video of the Ad contact Evette Davis at 788-1000. |
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