Chris Blount
01-23-04, 06:41 AM
Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has introduced the Satellite Home Viewer Extension Act of 2004, getting Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy - the committee's ranking Democrat - as well as Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) to cosponsor the measure.
As expected, the bill provides for a five-year extension of the statutory license allowing satellite TV services to deliver secondary transmissions of distant network and superstation programming, which is in the Copyright Act. The current license permits satellite TV companies to provide subscribers residing in unserved households with network programming from distant TV markets. This section is set to expire at the end of 2004.
The limited extension recognizes that satellite TV is still making local channels available to subscribers, especially in rural areas, which Hatch said is "an important development for viewers and local broadcasters, as well as for the satellite carriers themselves."
The Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA), which became law in 1999, authorized for the first time the retransmission of local signals via satellite to subscribers. Local TV delivery via satellite has a permanent copyright license, and isn't part of the satellite extension act.
Edward Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, said the organization supports the legislation's introduction and will work towards passage of a bill re-authorizing SHVIA. However, he said, "Our ultimate goal is to see 'local-to-local' extended to all television stations in all 210 markets, and we strongly oppose attempts by satellite providers to bypass carriage of local stations."
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)
As expected, the bill provides for a five-year extension of the statutory license allowing satellite TV services to deliver secondary transmissions of distant network and superstation programming, which is in the Copyright Act. The current license permits satellite TV companies to provide subscribers residing in unserved households with network programming from distant TV markets. This section is set to expire at the end of 2004.
The limited extension recognizes that satellite TV is still making local channels available to subscribers, especially in rural areas, which Hatch said is "an important development for viewers and local broadcasters, as well as for the satellite carriers themselves."
The Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA), which became law in 1999, authorized for the first time the retransmission of local signals via satellite to subscribers. Local TV delivery via satellite has a permanent copyright license, and isn't part of the satellite extension act.
Edward Fritts, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, said the organization supports the legislation's introduction and will work towards passage of a bill re-authorizing SHVIA. However, he said, "Our ultimate goal is to see 'local-to-local' extended to all television stations in all 210 markets, and we strongly oppose attempts by satellite providers to bypass carriage of local stations."
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)