Martin Cohn

Proposed federal legislation will protect PEG programming

I would like to thank U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch for making Vermont the only state in which its entire congressional delegation has co-sponsored the Protecting Community Television Act introduced by U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (Massachusetts) and U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (California) as S.3361 and HR.6219.

The Federal Communications Commission is attempting to redefine franchise fees principles that have been in place since 1984. Without this legislation, the FCC will radically reduce the level of monetary support available to run public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access channels across the United States.

Community access television stations, like Brattleboro Community Television (BCTV), connect us to our communities, catalyze civic engagement, and keep us up to date on the local issues and activities that affect our lives.

Please join with me in commending the Vermont congressional delegation's acknowledgement of the vital need for preserving local information and communication needs.

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No cheers for Ben & Jerry’s

‘The actions of the company have undoubtedly contributed to a global campaign of hate rather than peace’

Let's hold the cheers for Ben & Jerry's and review some history. First, Joel Doerfler's commentary promotes a major factual inaccuracy about Israel's alleged illegal occupation. While reasonable people in Israel and around the world can and do criticize Israel's policies in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem, its...

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BCTV interviews candidates on Windham County ballots

Due to COVID-19, this year candidates have had a difficult time reaching out to voters. Brattleboro Community Television is helping citizens stay informed about local and statewide races with BCTV's half-hour interview program “Meet the Candidates.” In September, invitations were sent to 49 candidates seeking election (seven federal, 20...

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Six reasons to give

If you run a business, you undoubtedly feel many pressures on your time and money. Why would you want to add giving to the community to your to-do list? Here are six reasons. 1. It feels good. Making contributions to the community is personally rewarding. Our values are important to us - from helping kids to supporting neighborhood cleanup efforts. Charitable contributions enable us to support these values. 2. It's a tradition. Local businesses traditionally have been principal supporters of...

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Six reasons to give

If you run a business, you undoubtedly feel many pressures on your time and money. Why would you want to add “giving to the community” to your to-do list? Here are six reasons. 1. It feels good. Making contributions to the community is personally rewarding. Our values are important to us - from helping kids to supporting neighborhood cleanup efforts. Charitable contributions enable us to support these values. 2. It's tradition. Local businesses traditionally have been principal supporters of many...

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Keeping it in perspective

According to Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013, “The war against Israel has passed through three phases.” “The first was the attempt to annihilate Israel by conventional means,” he says. “It began with Israel's birth in 1948, when Arab armies nearly captured Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and ended in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israeli forces came within artillery range of Cairo and Damascus. “The next stage, starting in the early 1970s, sought...

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Instead of Black Friday, how about Giving Day?

Rather than “Black Friday,” how about declaring the day after Thanksgiving as “Giving Day,” a day to encourage philanthropy? This simple idea associates charitable giving and the celebration of philanthropy with our national holiday. All Vermonters would be encouraged to offer assistance to those in need, in whatever way they might be able to do so. Recent disasters have proven that lending support to those in need is an important part of our Vermont tradition and the American tradition. The...

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Israeli Film and Food Festival a success

On behalf of the Brattleboro Area Jewish Community (BAJC), I thank all those who participated in the fourth annual Israeli Film and Food Festival on Aug. 21 and 22. More than 150 movie lovers viewed some top-rated Israeli films and sampled Middle Eastern fare while helping BAJC raise much-needed funds. Our fundraiser was successful in a large part because of the support we received from local businesspeople who purchased ads in our program book or donated merchandise to raffle. We...

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