Larry Pressler: “I want to praise both Senator Dole and Senator Daschle for their leadership on the amendments we just passed which have…”

“I want to praise both Senator Dole and Senator Daschle for their leadership on the amendments we just passed which have been worked out and negotiated over a number of weeks and days and down to the last minute. The package of amendments that is the Dole-Daschle package is intended to modify a number of areas in the bill and thus improve the bill's deregulatory nature. It ensures that certain provisional intents usually apply the way they were meant to and provides exceptions where necessary. The amendments end all rate regulations on small and rural cable companies. These companies cannot economically exist under such rate controls and are unable to provide basic and upper-tier services. It also eliminates restrictions on the number of TV stations, 12 twelve, owned nationwide while maintaining the 35-percent national audience reach. It eliminates all ownership restrictions on radio, and the FCC is granted the authority to deny additional licenses if it thinks an entity is getting undue concentration. It gets rid of the GTE consent decree arising from GTE's purchase of Sprint. GTE has sold Sprint. Therefore, the consent decree is no longer necessary. It eliminates unnecessary regulations and functions at the FCC.”