Cárdenas Statement on Effects of AT&T – Univision Dispute
Cárdenas Statement on Effects of AT&T – Univision Dispute
(San Fernando Valley, CA) – Today, Congressman Cárdenas released the following statement in response to the ongoing dispute between Univision and AT&T.
“I feel a responsibility to express my serious concern for the constituents in my district and all over the country whose access to information has been negatively impacted by this dispute. As of 11:59 p.m. last Thursday, U-Verse customers can no longer watch Univision, Unimás, Galavision, Univision Deportes and other Spanish-language program networks.
I strongly urge both parties of the negotiation to quickly and responsibly resolve this situation and come to an agreement in order to ensure the Latino community can continue accessing the content they choose at this pivotal time for our country.
Millions of viewers in the United States choose Spanish-language programming every year, in the same way that Spanish language radio and television were the primary sources of entertainment and information in our home while I was growing up.
This situation highlights how important it is for the individuals and companies that control our media landscape to maintain a commitment to civic responsibility, particularly to the Latino community.
The Latino community has an unprecedented opportunity this year to be a strong and decisive voice in our nation’s future. Few things would be more detrimental to this potential than limiting the viewing options for one of the Latino community’s most trusted sources of information. It is difficult to overstate the importance of media as a tool to encourage civic engagement and participation, and the importance of a diverse and well-informed public.
The timely resolution of this dispute is an issue of public interest. I hope AT&T and Univision can expeditiously resolve this dispute in the best interests of the Latino community.”
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