Executive Director, Janesville Television, 1997-2009
WAPC Board of Directors, 2004-2008
WAPC Vice-President, 2005-2008
Spring Conference Coordinator, 2005-2008

Hall of Fame Inductee, 2009

We recognize Judi for her founding community access work in the City of Janesville, for her five years of outstanding service on the WAPC Board of Directors, and for her impeccable management of our Spring Conferences.

We are also deeply grateful to Judi for her fierce and relentless advocacy for community television during the big legislative fight to save it in 2007. Judi was a key player, who used her considerable skill to help legislators "get" the importance of PEG.

Her many friends who have had the pleasure to work with Judi and seek her sage advice over the years have been enriched by her professionalism, inspired by her commitment, and warmed by her great friendship.

Judi was honored to be recognized by her peers in the Hall of Fame. She loved access. "The best part of my job is talking with volunteers to hear their stories about the programs they produced and how much they appreciate our help and the opportunity to share their community interests with a larger audience."

Judi gave us so much.

We will miss you!

Judi's Hall of Fame remarks

Judi's obituary

Councilman Yuri Rashkin's blog entry on Judi's passing

Rock County Hall of Fame inductee

Tribute to Judi Kneece on WCLO 1230am, Stan Milam Show (audio file; tribute is in last 1/3 of file)

Those who knew Judi will appreciate the Janesville Gazette article that captures her effect on others.

As those of you know who worked hard to push through changes on Act 42, AT&T is a very formidable foe and they're doing it again, this time on the national level. Alan says AT&T is lining up community organizations and cities to oppose the PEG advocate point of view in Reply Comments to the FCC on the AT&T U-Verse petition and Comcast digitization petition. (WAPC filed Comments in that proceeding, which we sent out in our last member WAPC Update.)

Let's not let AT&T bamboozle the FCC!

Please send the renewals and surveys to Executive Director Mary Cardona and the dues to Treasurer Deb Brunett. A pdf copy of the survey you can fill in can be found here. Contact information for Mary and Deb is here.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 30, 2009) – Community media groups joined with a nationwide coalition of municipalities and regional organizations today in filing a Petition for Declaratory Ruling (pdf) with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) charging that telecom giant AT&T discriminates against local public channels with its U-verse cable TV system...(snip)

...”AT&T’s treatment of PEG channels is inferior in virtually every way that matters to a viewer, preventing the public’s ability to easily access safety alerts, health information, town hall meetings, educational and other local programming,” added Soule. (more)

On January 22, the International Municipal Lawyers Association, in their local government blog, warned municipalities which have granted franchises to either Charter or Broadstripe of the legal implications should either company file for bankrupcy protection as they are expected to do.

Thank you for your article "Video franchise law no boon to consumer" (November 8, 2008). As Rick Barrett reported, the law that standardized cable television franchises statewide has not decreased rates, created long-term jobs, or brought competition quickly to the marketplace as promised by AT&T and its lobbying partner, the cable industry. Unlike the local franchise system that empowered municipalities to enter into good-faith negotiations with cable companies to resolve problems, the law that passed the legislature last December has established weak state oversight and stripped municipalities of any control. (The letter continues here.)