01/25/06   DCCA Letter Order - 2006 Access Operating Fees for Akaku 01/25/06  Akaku board chair letter to DCCA (Quo Warranto) 01/23/06  DCCA Letter to PEGs re cutting funds for 2006 01/19/06  THE RISE AND FALL OF COMMUNITY ACCESS TELEVISION IN MAUI COUNTY, A TIMELINE OF EVENTS Prepared by  Akaku Chairman for CAC meeting  01/18/06   DCCA Press Release RE: statewide meetings  to decide if PEGs should be required to be contracted through state procurement procedures, or be exempted from the law. (HTML & PDF versions) 1997:  URGING THE CONSOLIDATION OF COMMUNITY ACCESS ADMINISTRATION FOR MAUI COUNTY

2005 Legislation to split Akaku's funds . Robert "Mike" Albert's letter to the DCCA Cable Advisory Committee,  presented at the October 13, 2005 CAC meeting. & Pictures of Everett Dowling's Attorney Sandie Wong and Robert Albert at October '05 CAC Meeting . Email from HENC member asking the DCCA Director for assistance in firing Akaku's President

UPDATE:   The House Bill died, and the Senate bill was gutted and turned into a vehicle to get yet more franchise funds for Education for additional connections to the State's INET (See SB 959 SD2 HD1), but only after the pressure from the Legislature forced Akaku into giving away more than 33% of its funds to what is now called Maui Educational Networking Consortium (MENC). (see Maui's Education Agreement).

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Hawaii State legislation (SB959) introduced by Maui land speculators has effectively hijacked Akaku: Maui Community TV, the local community access media provider for Maui County - diverting local channels, board control and money to State agencies.

Before they adjourn (in two weeks), the Legislature has one last chance to make it right - by appropriating four hundred thousand dollars to Akaku and ensuring that Maui's free speech media are independent of government control!

Call, fax and e-mail Hawaii Legislators and ask them:
Please Save Akaku, Maui's only free speech TV!
Appropriate State funds to replace community resources hijacked by State education bureaucrats.  And ensure that land speculators and other special interests are NOT putting our community's voice under STATE control!

Background:

Maui News reported on February 26, 2005 [http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=6375] "State Sen. Roz Baker said the purpose of the Legislature’s bills was to 'force' Akaku, MCC and the DOE to try to reach an agreement."  And, "Baker said Wailuku developer and former University of Hawaii Regent Everett Dowling 'had an interest' in the cable-access bills..."

According to testimony on SB959 by Stirling Morita of the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter on March 31, 2005:  "The bill would stifle many voices on Maui while trying to look like it is benefiting education" and "This is an unjustified raid, and there is no other way to put it."

Current issue of Haleakala Times outlines terms of the deal that was forced on Akaku - divesting over one third of cable funding this year with continuing diversion of funds in perpetuity, divesting one third of access channel/bandwidth, and divesting one third of Board control, all to State controlled offices.
Latest report is online at http://mauisfreepress.com/feature1.html

And in an April 5, 2005 e-mail Sen. Baker tells Alliance for Community Media's Tony Riddle:  "It seems to be a good agreement.  That is the outcome sought by the bills."
At this point, ultra-rich land speculators teamed up with powerful State bureaucrats and beholden (or misinformed) politicians to stifle Free Speech for Maui County!  They have succeeded in hijacking resources and control over local media access.  Recent cover story of Honolulu Weekly provides more background too -
http://honoluluweekly.com/cover/detail.php?id=83

Before the Hawaii Legislature ends their session (first week of May) - it's their last chance to MAKE IT RIGHT - by appropriating State funds to Akaku ($400,000+ to replace current year losses) and promising to defend the independence of local community-based access media!

Call, fax and e-mail Hawaii's Legislature TODAY!

Hawaii House of Representatives conferees: Rep. Ken Hiraki <rephiraki@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6180; fax 808-586-6181 Rep. Pono Chong <repchong@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-9490; fax 808-586-9496 Rep. Mele Carroll <repcarroll@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6790; fax 808-586-6779 Rep. Colleen Meyer <repmeyer@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-8540; fax 808-586-8544 Rep. Dwight Takamine <reptakamine@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6200; fax 808-586-6201 Rep. Calvin Say <repsay@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6100; fax 808-586-6101 House Members by Fax:  1-800-535-3859

Hawaii Senate leaders: Sen. Shan Tsutsui <sentsutsui@capitol.hawaii.gov> Phone 808-586-7344; fax 808-586-7348 Sen. Brian Taniguchi <sentaniguchi@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6460; fax 808-586-6461 Sen. Ron Menor <senmenor@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6740, 623-7797; fax 808-586-6829 Sen. Robert Bunda <senbunda@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6090; fax 808-586-6091 Sen. Kalani English <senenglish@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-587-7225; fax 808-587-7230 Sen. Gary Hooser <senhooser@capitol.hawaii.gov> phone 808-586-6030; fax 808-586-6031 Senate Members by Fax:  1-800-586-6659

And send copies to local news media:
Key e-mail addresses to support Free Speech media access for Maui, Hawaii:

Akaku: Maui Community TV, Board of Directors
info@akaku.org

Maui News (daily)
letters@mauinews.com

Honolulu Advertiser (daily)
letters@honoluluadvertiser.com

Honolulu Star-Bulletin (daily)
letters@starbulletin.com

Maui Time (weekly)
anthony@mauitime.com

Haleakala Times (bi-weekly)
haltimes@maui.net

Honolulu Weekly
editorial@honoluluweekly.com