Chris Blount
05-14-04, 08:04 PM
Rep. Charles Bass, R-N.H., is drafting a proposal that would allow satellite television companies to broadcast out-of-market, high-definition digital signals to consumers who cannot receive such signals from their local broadcasters.
Satellite carriers have been pushing for that authority as Congress considers updating a law that governs their industry (PL 106-113). Draft legislation in two House committees — Energy and Commerce, and Judiciary — does not address the issue.
Bass is still working out the specifics of his plan, but might offer it as an amendment when the Energy and Commerce Committee marks up its bill. The panel’s Thursday markup was postponed. Aides said it could be rescheduled for next week.
Tad Furtado, Bass’ legislative director, said the amendment’s intent would be to encourage local broadcasters to speed transition to digital signals. “The underlying thesis is that all those folks who go out and spend money on [high-definition] TV sets ought to have something to watch that was delivered in the over-the-air method,” he said.
Local broadcasters oppose the plan because it would create increased competition for their prime-time network programming from out-of-market affiliate stations. They say they have made progress on the digital transition but will not be able to meet a statutory 2006 deadline (PL 105-33) for complete conversion. The Federal Communications Commission is considering a plan that would move the deadline back to 2009, but broadcasters say they need even more time than that.
Furtado said Bass is weighing several options. The plan broadcasters might find most palatable would be to offer digital signals only to subscribers who do not have access to local analog signals — over-the-air or via satellite — and do not receive local digital signals.
Another approach would be to allow each broadcast affiliate in a market to choose whether to offer digital or analog signals. If a station opts for analog, a consumer could receive a distant digital signal for that network.
Central to any proposals, Furtado said, would be defining which consumers are digitally “unserved” — without access to local digital signals. Under current law, there is a similar definition for consumers “unserved” by analog signals from their local stations. They are eligible to receive out-of-market network affiliate stations via satellite.
Satellite carriers have been pushing for that authority as Congress considers updating a law that governs their industry (PL 106-113). Draft legislation in two House committees — Energy and Commerce, and Judiciary — does not address the issue.
Bass is still working out the specifics of his plan, but might offer it as an amendment when the Energy and Commerce Committee marks up its bill. The panel’s Thursday markup was postponed. Aides said it could be rescheduled for next week.
Tad Furtado, Bass’ legislative director, said the amendment’s intent would be to encourage local broadcasters to speed transition to digital signals. “The underlying thesis is that all those folks who go out and spend money on [high-definition] TV sets ought to have something to watch that was delivered in the over-the-air method,” he said.
Local broadcasters oppose the plan because it would create increased competition for their prime-time network programming from out-of-market affiliate stations. They say they have made progress on the digital transition but will not be able to meet a statutory 2006 deadline (PL 105-33) for complete conversion. The Federal Communications Commission is considering a plan that would move the deadline back to 2009, but broadcasters say they need even more time than that.
Furtado said Bass is weighing several options. The plan broadcasters might find most palatable would be to offer digital signals only to subscribers who do not have access to local analog signals — over-the-air or via satellite — and do not receive local digital signals.
Another approach would be to allow each broadcast affiliate in a market to choose whether to offer digital or analog signals. If a station opts for analog, a consumer could receive a distant digital signal for that network.
Central to any proposals, Furtado said, would be defining which consumers are digitally “unserved” — without access to local digital signals. Under current law, there is a similar definition for consumers “unserved” by analog signals from their local stations. They are eligible to receive out-of-market network affiliate stations via satellite.