The threat to cut funding for public access is coming from the local cable commission -- i.e., the government -- not the "cable giants". The reason for the cut is that PEG (Public, Educational and Government access channel) funding comes out of the franchise fee payments that the local governments require cable operators to pay every month and the local governments want to use that money for other purposes, including government access channels (the "G" in "PEG" access). The amount of those fees is capped at 5 percent of the cable operators subscriber revenues by statute. And the amount actually being paid has been declining as cable revenues decrease due to cord cutting.