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Paas J NATOA NEWS The Lieberman-Shays Bills cations and finance—Rep. Alluding to his negative expe- Edward Markey(-•Mass.)—and How You Can Help!! rience with deregulation as the chair of the full Energy and S attorney general for the state of Commerce committee—Rep. Congressional efforts to Connecticut and stating that It John Dingell(D-Mich.)—and ask n9 provide for expanded regula- is"time...to bring consumer them to schedule hearings and a tion of the cable industry and limit anticompetitive • protection back to cable TV;' markup of cable legislation. practices will only succeed If you get involved.Follow- Lieberman introduced the Cable Copies of these bills can be Ing are a list of action steps. Consumer Protection Act of obtained by calling Leslie 1989(S.905),a bill which would Wollack in NLC's Office of Fed- ACTION STEPS repeal the rate deregulation pro- eral Relations at(202)626-3020. (1) Encourage your city or county council to pass a resolu- visions of the Cable Act,on May don In support of legislation to enhance competition In 3.Shays Introduced companion the video market,provide for the regulation of cable ser- ' legislation in the House on the vice rates,and impose limitations on concentration of I same day. ownership.Contact Robin Charleston at(312)324-2310 Sen.Christopher Dodd Urge members of your for a draft resolution. (D-Conn.)is a cosponsor of the Lieberman bill.Cosponsors of Congressional delega- (2) Send a copy of your resolution and a letter delineating the House companion measure tion to cosponsor the your community's cable problems to your U.S.Senators Include Reps.Thomas Downey following bills,with and Representatives,with copies to the chairs of the (0-N.Y.),Richard Neal(D-Mass.), appropriate House and Senate Committees(see follow- Frank Pallone(D-N.Y.),Charles copies to the sponsor Ing box). Wilson(D-Tex.),Major Owens of the bill and to the (3) Send descriptions of cable problems(e.g.,the dropping (D-N.Y.),Robert Mrazek(D-N.Y.) chair of the appropriate of services,channel shifting and retiering,customer ser- and Martin Lancaster(0-N.C.). vice difficulties,and signal quality)to Robin Charleston, The Lieberman-Shays bill committees and sub- 6900 S.Constance,Chicago,IL 60649. would terminate section 623 of committees. (4) Send basic service rate histories for your community to the Cable Act six months after Catharine Rice,National League of Cities,1301 enactment of his bill.(Section 'me Cable Television Subscriber Pennsylvania Ave.,N.W.,Washington,DC 20004. 623 limits state and local Protection Act*1 1989 authority over cable rates.)S.905 (Metzenbaum) would also allow states and This bili would authorize the cities to require a reduction or regulation of basic service rates change in cable rates after ser- unless 30 percent of multi- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE vices are added or dropped as channel customers in the corn- long as 60 days notice and a munity subscribe to service Joseph R.Blden Jr.(D-Del.)chair 'Strom Thurmond(R-S.C.), public hearing are provided.It Edward M.Kennedy(0-Mass.) ranking minority member would allow franchising authori- from another cable system or an Howard M.Metzenbaum(--Ohio) •Orrin G.Hatch(R-Utah) ties to deny the renewal of a alternative technology. 'Dennis DeConcini(D Ariz.) Alan K.Simpson(R-Wyo.) franchise or a transfer of system Senate: Patrick J.Leahy(D-Vt.) Charles E.Grassley(R•iowa) ownership because of the cable Bill number:S.833;Sponsors: Howell Heflin(D-Ala.) Men Specter(R-Pa.) operator's"extensive media Metzenbaum and Lieberman; 'Paul Simon(D•iii.) Gordon J.Humphrey(R-N.H.) Committee:Senate Committee 'Herbert Kohl(D Wla.) ownership." Additionally,S.905 would on Commerce,Science and 'member of the subcommittee on antitrust,monopolies and rights hts allow for state or local regula• Transportation g lion of cable systems as a corn- House: SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, • mon carrier or utility.It would No bill SCIENCE,AND TRANSPORTATION require cable systems to carry ._.:r... local broadcast stations on the •Ernest F.Hollings(D-S.C.)chair John C.Danforth(R-Mo.) ` basic service tier in order to Competition In Cable Television *Daniel K.Inouye(D Hawaii) ranking minority member take advantage of the compul• Act of 1989(Metzenbaum) 'Wendell H.Ford(D-Ky.) *Bob Packwood(R-Ore.) sory copyright license.The This bill would: •J.James Exon(D-Neb.) 'Larry Pressler(R-S.D.) channel number assigned to a (1)limit the percentage of •Albert Gore,Jr.e ler(D- (D-n.) 'Ted Stevens(R-Alaska) . broadcast station would be the subscribers which can be J•ohn i Rockefeller IV)aW.Va) Bob Kasten i (Ft- ) Lloyd Bentsen(D-Tex.) John McCain(R•Ariz.) channel on which the broad- served by a single entity and 'John Kerry(0-Mass.) 'Conrad Burns(R-Mont.) caster was carried on July 19, related entities to 25 percent of *John B.Breaux(D•La.) 'Slade Gorton(R-Wash.) 1985,a number assigned by the the nation's cable subscribers; Richard H.Bryan(D-Nev.) Trent Lott(R-Miss.) FCC;or a number of the broad- and Charles S.Robb(0-Vs.) caster's choosing. (2)require that programming 'member of the subcommittee on communications owned by verticallyintegrated HOUSE ENERGY&COMMERCE COMMITTEE Action Steps cable companiesbem madeeavail- City officials who are inter- able to alternative technologies. 'John D.Dingell(D-Mich.),chair 'Norman F.Lent(R-N.Y.), ested in seeing congressional Senate: James H.Scheuer(D-N.Y.) ranking minority member action on these bills should con- Bill number:S.834;Sponsors: Henry A.Waxman(D Calif.) •Edward R.Madigan(R-III.) Metzenbaum,Lieberman and Philip R.Sharp(D-Ind.) *Carlos J.Moorhead(R-Calif.) tact members of their congres- James J.Florio(D-N.J.) 'Matthew J.Rinaldo(R-N.J.) clonal delegation and ask them Pressler;Committee:Senate *Edward J.Markey(D-Masa.) William E.Dannemeyar(R.Calit) to cosponsor these bills.(All Committee ori tire Judiciary Thomas A.Luken(D-Ohio) Bob Whittaker(R-Kan.) three bills generally reflect House: Doug Waigren(D-Pa.) *Tom Tauke(R•lowa) NLC's recently-adopted corn- No bill •Al Swift(D-Wash.) 'Don Ritter(R-Pa.) munications policy.) 'Mickey Leland(D-Tex.) 'Thomas J.Bliley Jr.(R•Va.) In the Senate,S.833 and S. 'Cardin Collins(D-Ill.) 'Jack Fields(R-Tex.) 905 have been referred to the Cable Consumer Protection Act 'Mike Synar(0.Okla.) *Michael G.Oxley(R-Ohio) Commerce,Science and Trans- of 1989(Lieberman-Shays) •W..J."Billy"Tauzin(D-La.) Howard C.Nielson(R-Utah) portation Committee.City offi• This bill would: ••Ron Wyden(D-Ore.) Michael Bllirakis(R-Fla.) cuts should write to the chair of (1)repeal rate deregulation; 'Ralph M.Hall(D Tex.) 'Dan Schaefer(R Colo.) (2)allow for the disapproval of 'Dennis E.Eckert(D-Ohio) Joe L Barton(R-Tex.) the communications subcom• a transfer or the denial of a 'Bill Richardson(D-N.M.) Sonny Callahan(R-Ala.) mittee—Sen.Daniel Inouye •Jim Slattery(0-Kan.) J.Alex McMillan(R-N.C.) renewal because of concerns ) fuI comm—and the chair oftheabout concentration of media Gerry Bryantl(0-Minn.) 'JimeLoBruc (Tenn. full committee—Sen.Ernest 'John (0-Tex.) Terry Bruce(D-III.) Hollings(D-S.C.)—and ask them ownership;and Jim Bates(D-Calif.) J.Roy Towland(0-Ga.) to schedule hearings and action (3)establish modified must- •Rick Boucher(D-Va.) Thomas J.Manton(D-N.Y.) on S.833 and S.905. carry and channel placement S.834 has been referred to rules for local broadcast sta- *member of the subcommittee on telecommunications and finance the Senate Judiciary Committee. tions. . City officials should write to the Senate: Any member of Congress can be reached by calling the Capitol chair of the subcommittee— Bill number.S.905;Sponsors: switchboard at(20Z 224.3121. Metzenbaum—and the chair of Lieberman and Dodd;Commit- Members of the Senate can be reached by writing: the full committee—Sen. tee:Senate Committee on Com- Sen.(name) Joseph Biden(D.-Del.)—and ask merce,Science and Transports• U.S.Senate • them to schedule action on S.834 tion Washington DC 20510 (a hearing was held on April 12). House: Members of the House of Representatives can be reached by In the House,H.R.2222 has Bill number:H.R.2222;Spon- writing: been referred to the House sors:Shays,Downey,Neal, Rep.(name) Energy and Commerce Commit- Pallone,Wilson,Owens,and U.S.House of Representatives tee for action.City officials Mrazek;Committee:House Washington,DC 20515 should write the chair of the Committee on Energy and Com- subcommittee on telecommuni- merce