CTAM members have adopted the following statement in an effort to articulate our concerns regarding the changes taking place in national and state telecommunications public policy.

The CTAM membership supports government regulation of all telecommunication services to ensure the public's First Amendment right to speak freely over existing communication systems. We recognize the authority, and responsibility, of a "franchise agreement" which is developed between private, for-profit telecommunication system providers (cable and telephone companies) and publicly accountable entities such as local municipal governments, commissions or legislative bodies.

These franchise agreements should include the following items:

• Dedication of public, educational, and governmental channels (frequencies) in sufficient numbers to meet community needs and interests.
• Dedication of sufficient resources to make use of these channels.

The resources should be used for the following purposes:

• Purchase and maintenance of equipment used to create programming;
• Day to day management of access channels;
• Training of individuals and groups within the community who are interested in using the channels;
• Archiving of material for future users;
• Organization of information resources within a community;
• Development and implementation of new, emerging forms of communication technology.