Chris Blount
05-18-04, 06:46 AM
Richard DalBello, president of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association, reiterated on Monday satellite TV industry concerns with a possible jump in the royalty rate structure for carriage of distant networks and superstation programming.
In his weekly Report from the President, DalBello pointed to legislation from the House Judiciary Committee that would raise those rates to reflect a cost-of-living adjustment since 1999, and then require the Copyright Office to convene a panel to determine the fair market value for the content. The SBCA president said his concern comes from the fact that in 1997 a similar mandate increased satellite TV's royalty rates by 350 percent.
"These rates then had to be re-adjusted downwards by Congress a year later to make them feasible," DalBello said in the weekly report. "This system just doesn’t work. We think adjusting for inflation is appropriate and sufficient. By comparison, cable rates are evaluated every 5 years and adjusted for inflation only."
DalBello also said he supported the introduction of a "digital white area" in any bill re-authorizing the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA). The item would allow for satellite delivery of digital distant networks into areas not served by a local station with a digital TV signal.
There may be more activity on SHVIA later in the week and before Congress heads out for Memorial Day, DalBello said.
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)
In his weekly Report from the President, DalBello pointed to legislation from the House Judiciary Committee that would raise those rates to reflect a cost-of-living adjustment since 1999, and then require the Copyright Office to convene a panel to determine the fair market value for the content. The SBCA president said his concern comes from the fact that in 1997 a similar mandate increased satellite TV's royalty rates by 350 percent.
"These rates then had to be re-adjusted downwards by Congress a year later to make them feasible," DalBello said in the weekly report. "This system just doesn’t work. We think adjusting for inflation is appropriate and sufficient. By comparison, cable rates are evaluated every 5 years and adjusted for inflation only."
DalBello also said he supported the introduction of a "digital white area" in any bill re-authorizing the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act (SHVIA). The item would allow for satellite delivery of digital distant networks into areas not served by a local station with a digital TV signal.
There may be more activity on SHVIA later in the week and before Congress heads out for Memorial Day, DalBello said.
http://www.skyreport.com (Used with permission)