On the recordMarch 9, 2010
I rise today to urge passage of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010, or STELA, as part of the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010. Over the past 15 years, satellite television has grown into a strong competitor to cable by offering consumers in rural as well as urban markets a choice in pay television providers. Where residents once were limited to a single cable operator, satellite providers now offer most consumers an alternative. This has led to price and service competition, which is good for consumers. Congress supported such competition through the passage of the Satellite Home Viewer Act and its progeny, including the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act, or SHVERA. And now Congress has the same opportunity with passage of STELA, which reauthorizes and extends certain communications and copyright provisions. A decade ago, Congress, recognizing that consumers want access to local news, weather, and community-oriented programming, established a mechanism by which satellite providers could offer local broadcast stations to residents in the local market.
