The Open Video Alliance is a coalition of organizations dedicated to fostering open infrastructure, tools, and standards for online video. One of their efforts is the Open Video Conference, which has many resources available.  As it appears that there will be no stopping of the digital convergance, groups and individuals who are working to create open networks of online media are likely to be at the forefront of any meaningful "access" in the 21st century.

Recently, users of Facebook forced a reversal of changes in the terms of use for the social networking site. What is not always talked about are the institutional connections of information technology.

Here is a link to a presentation of the issues related to proposed change in terms or service as well as information about the institutional structure  of Facebook in general.

for more in-depth information about human rights and information technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is a good place to start.

We do not think that the documented threats to voting integrity in the US are receiving sufficient coverage in the mainstream media. So along with The Earth House Collective and Common Cause Indiana, we are presenting a series of documentaries on October 23rd and 30th to highlight some of these threats, and invite groups participating in non-partisan election protection activities to join us at these events.

Rev. Timothy Rouse, President of the South Bend Common Council.

After the closing of Comcast's public access television studio in December, the City of South Bend selected the local PBS affiliate, WNIT, to record its three remaining Common Council meetings for 2007. But when that contract was extended through 2008 without an open bidding process, African American Council members and previous bidders cried foul during a meeting of the Information and Technology Committee on February 6, 2008.

Erik Möllberg

Erik Möllberg, Chair of the Indiana Chapter of the Alliance for Community Media, also runs the public, educational, and government (PEG) TV channels in Ft. Wayne. On January 29, he attended a hearing entitled ?Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Services in the Digital TV Age? convened by the Subcommittee on Telecommunications & the Internet of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington, DC. Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Michigan) initiated the hearing to look into to Comcast?s attempt to move PEG channels to the more expensive digital tier in Michigan in response to the state?s new video franchising law. The Right-of-Way is pleased to present some of Erik?s impressions:

Download the April/May 2008issue of the Public Access of Indianapolis newsletter, The Right of Way.  In the lead story, Erik Mollberg shares his experience at a hearing on ?Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Services in the Digital TV Age? convened by the Subcommittee on Telecommunications & the Internet of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington,  (Adobe Reader required.)