Senate Commerce Committee to Hold Hearing and Markup of Cable Bill
(October 1, 1998) With Congress likely to adjourn within a couple of weeks, the Senate Commerce Committee is holding hearing and markup session today as part of a last minute attempt to pass legislation to reform the cable and satellite TV industry. The Committee also has a full plate of other tech bills on its meeting agenda.
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing on S 2494, the "Multichannel Video Competition Act of 1998" at 9:30 AM. It is sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). The tentative witness list is as follows: Charles Ergen (CEO, Echostar), Gene Kimmelman (Co-Director, Consumers Union), Jim Yeager (President and COO, Benedek Broadcasting Corp.), and Andrew Fisher (Executive Vice President, Television Affiliates, Cox Broadcasting Company).
The bill would remove the existing ban on satellite TV providers offering local signals and feeds from national networks. The bill would make it possible for companies such as EchoStar and DirectTV to offer local stations.
A prime motivation for offering the bill to to stimulate competition, and reduce cable TV rates. Many Senators and Representatives have expressed their frustrations that cable rates continue to go up, rather than down, at numerous past hearings of the House and Senate Commerce Committees.
The Committee will then hold a business meeting at 2:30 PM to markup and report the bill.
The bill was only introduced on September 17, and the Congress is likely to adjourn within two weeks. Both the morning hearing, and the afternoon markup will be held in Room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington DC.
The Committee will also markup many other tech bills. See, agenda, below.
Senate Commerce Committee |
| The agenda includes markup many bill, and consideration of many nominations. The technology related bills on the agenda are the following: |
| S 2494, Multichannel Video Competition Act of 1998: The bill would correct problems that satellite TV customers now face in getting access to network TV programming. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the bill on September 17, 1998. |
| S 2519, Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1998: The bill would ensure that people can use their wireless telephones to call 911 in case of an emergency, and make it technically possible for 911 emergency assistants to locate wireless callers. The bill was introduced by Sen. McCain and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, on September 24, 1998. |
| S 2365, International Satellite Communications Reform Act of 1998: The bill would amend the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 to promote competition and privatization in the international satellite industry for the benefit of consumers and providers of satellite services and equipment. Sen. Burns introduced the bill on July 28, 1998. |
| S 2326, Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998: The bill requires the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe rules for commercial websites to follow when collecting and using personal information from children. Sen. Richard Bryan (D-NV) and Sen. McCain introduced the bill on July 17, 1998. |
| S 1427, Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1997: The bill would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission to preserve low power television stations that provide community broadcasting. S 1427 was introduced by Sen. Wendell Ford on November 7, 1997. |
| HR 1903, Computer Security Enhancement Act of 1997: A bill to amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to enhance the ability of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to improve computer security. |