Political Quotes

“Today, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4572, the STELA Reauthorization Act, a bill that allows satellite providers to continue to offer broadcast television programming to their subscribers. Americans across the country will benefit from reauthorizing the expiring communications and copyright statute that allows satellite customers to have access to broadcast content, but it particularly benefits rural communities, a concern of many of us in this body. Folks from Vermont are going to benefit by this. They rely heavily on satellite for access to video programming. The STELA Reauthorization Act is the work product of two committees, the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee. Because of the bill's complexity, both substantively and procedurally, the Communications and Technology Subcommittee held a series of hearings starting early last year to examine the various issues affecting our Nation's ever-evolving video marketplace. As a result, H.R. 4572 includes several targeted provisions designed to improve regulatory parity in the video marketplace. One, the bill prohibits two noncommonly owned broadcasters from jointly negotiating for retransmission consent with cable and satellite companies. Two, the bill also includes a compromise on the deadline for broadcasters to unwind certain joint sales agreements in an attempt to keep intact the FCC's local broadcast ownership rules.…”