Here is the text of a letter that is circulating around Minneapolis:

To:               mn-arts@mtn.org
Subject:          Campaign for BBC America on Minneapolis Cable
Send reply to:    clift@publicus.net
Date sent:        Mon, 23 Mar 1998 11:59:47
 

Live in Minneapolis?  Subscribe to cable?  Looking for some quality
programming?  BBC America will be launched March 29.  Minneapolis
should have it by April 1!  If Minneapolis is to be a world class
city it must have world class television.

I hope that Paragon Cable will add this station without delay to a
prominent position on the "A" cable.  The quickest thing to do in
support of this is to call Paragon Customer Service and ask them to
add BBC America without delay.  Call Paragon at 522-2000.  Ask them
to keep you updated.

Since Paragon has a franchise I suggest that you call your city
council member if you are really motivated and ask (a phone list at
the bottom of this message) them to put pressure on Paragon as well.

If you send me your e-mail address I will keep you updated.  Send
your name and e-mail address to:  bbc-mpls@publicus.net

Cheers,
Steven Clift
Minneapolis

P.S. If you live in other parts of Minnesota I encourage you to
contact your area cable companies as well.
 

http://www.iht.com/IHT/TODAY/FRI/FPAGE/bbc.html
 

             Top Stories from the Front Page of the
             International Herald Tribune,
             Friday, March 20, 1998

             BBC Heads Out (With a
             Guide) To New Frontier:
             TV in America
 

             By Tom Buerkle International Herald
             Tribune

             LONDON - The British Broadcasting
             Corp., the self-styled high-class act of
             English-language television, is about to enter
             the land of Hollywood.

             The BBC, Britain's publicly funded
             broadcaster, signed a long-awaited
             agreement with the American owners of the
             Discovery Channel on Thursday to create a
             group of television channels offering
             documentaries, nature and arts programs on
             global markets. The two companies also will
             establish a new cable channel, BBC
             America, that will offer British programs to
             U.S. viewers.

- clip -
 

             In addition, Discovery will spend $100
             million to market BBC America, which will
             offer everything from the comedy series
             Black Adder to period dramas like Pride and
             Prejudice and BBC World news. Mr.
             Hendricks predicted the channel would
             reach as many as 25 million homes within
             two years.
 

- clip -

             The introduction of BBC America on March
             29 also raises doubts about the BBC's
             co-production deals with PBS, including the
             Masterpiece Theater and Mystery programs.
             Harry Forbes, a spokesman for PBS, said he
             hoped the big audience of the U.S. public
             network would continue to attract the BBC.

I hope they keep working together. - SLC
 

             The BBC's expansion also struck some
             British critics as untimely, given a growing
             British preference for American situation
             comedies like ''Frasier.''

             ''Intelligent viewers have virtually given up
             watching British sitcoms and now rely upon
             the Americans for sophistication and wit,''
             Christopher Dunkley, the television critic of
             the Financial Times, wrote this week.
 
 

Your City Council Members:
 

      Ward  1, Paul Ostrow                      (612) 673-2201
      Ward  2, Joan Campbell                    (612) 673-2202
      Ward  3, Joe Biernat                      (612) 673-2203
      Ward  4, Barbara Johnson                  (612) 673-2204
      Ward  5, Jackie Cherryhomes               (612) 673-2205
      Ward  6, Jim Niland                       (612) 673-2206
      Ward  7, Lisa Goodman                     (612) 673-2207
      Ward  8, Brian Herron                     (612) 673-2208
      Ward  9, Kathy Thurber                    (612) 673-2209
      Ward 10, Lisa McDonald                    (612) 673-2210
      Ward 11, S. Doré Mead                     (612) 673-2211
      Ward 12, Sandy Colvin Roy                 (612) 673-2212
      Ward 13, Steve Minn                       (612) 673-2213