Political Quotes

“the 105th Congress is likely to adjourn without enacting S. 1427, the Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1998. Even so, I want to provide my colleagues a status report on the bill and advise them of the prospects for passage next year. The principal purpose of S. 1427 is to provide permanent ``Class A licenses'' for low-power broadcasters. Currently these broadcasters have secondary status, which means that they can be bumped from their place on the spectrum by a full-power station. Without permanent status, these broadcasters have a hard time obtaining long-term capital. After introducing this legislation last year, I worked with the staff of the Federal Communications Committee to refine the bill. In pursuing this matter, I have sought to provide a degree of certainty for low power broadcasters without creating any unintended consequences for other users of the spectrum. The result, which was reported from the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on October 1, has achieved that goal. The core mission of low power broadcasters is to provide programming for local communities that are not served by full power stations.”