|
Page a
<br /> O. NEWS
<br /> The Uebertnan-Shays Bills cations and finance—Rep.
<br /> Alluding to his negative expe• Edward Markey(D-Mass.)—and How You Can Hel f
<br /> rience with deregulation as the chair of the full Energy and p•
<br /> attorney general for the state of Commerce committee—Rep. •
<br /> Connecticut and stating that 11 John Dingell(D-Mich.)—and ask Congressional efforts to provide for expanded regula-
<br /> rs"time...to bring consumer them to schedule hearings and a tion Of the cable Industry and limit anticompetitive
<br /> protection back to cable TV;' markup of cable legislation. practices will only succeed If you get Involved.Follow.
<br /> Lieberman Introduced the Cable Copies of these bills can be Ing are a list of action steps.
<br /> Consumer Protection Act of obtained by calling Leslie
<br /> 1989(S.9D5),a bill which would Wollack In NLC's Office of Fed- A C T I O N S T E P S
<br /> repeal the rate deregulation pro- eral Relations at(202)626.3020. (1) Encourage your city or county council to pass a resolu-
<br /> visions of the Cable Act,on May lion In support of legislation to enhance competition In
<br /> i 3.Shays Introduced companion the video market,provide for the regulation of cable ser-
<br /> leglslatlon In the House on the vice rates,and Impose(Imitations on concentration of
<br /> same day. ownership.Contact Robin Charleston at(312)324.2310
<br /> Son.Christopher Dodd Urge members of your for a draft resolution.
<br /> (D-Conn.)Is a cosponsor of the
<br /> Lieberman bill.Cosponsors of Congressional delega- (2) Send a copy of your resolution and a letter delineating'
<br /> the House companion measure tion to cosponsor the your community's cable problems to your U.S.Senators
<br /> Include Reps.Thomas Downey f011OWln bills, Wlth and Representatives,with copies to the chairs of the
<br /> (D-N.Y.),Richard Neal(D-Mass.), g appropriate House and Senate Committees(see follow-
<br /> Frank Pellone(D•N.Y.),Charles copies to the sponsor Ing box).
<br /> Wilson(D-Tex.),Major Owens of the bill and to the (3) Send descriptions of cable problems(e.g.,the dropping
<br /> (D-N.Y.),Robert Mrazek(D-N.Y.) chair of the appropriate of services,channel shifting and reliering,customer ser-
<br /> and Martin Lancaster(D-N.C.). vice difficulties,and signal quality)to Robin Charleston,
<br /> The Lieberman-Shays bill committees and sub- 6900 S.Constance,Chicago,IL 60649.
<br /> would terminate section 623 of committees. (4) Send basic service rate histories for your community to
<br /> the Cable Act six months after Catharine Rice,National League of Cities,1301
<br /> enactment of his bill.(Section The Cable Television Subscriber
<br /> authority Pennsylvania Ave.,N.W.,Washington,DC 20004.
<br /> limits state and local
<br /> authority over cable rates Protection Act of 1989
<br /> S.905 (Metzenbaum)
<br /> would also allow stales and d This bill would authorize the or
<br /> er.
<br /> clues to require a reduction as regulation of basic service rates
<br /> change In cable rates alter unless 30 percent of multi- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
<br /> vices are added or dropped as channel customers in the com-
<br /> long as 60 days notice and a Joseph R.Baden Jr.(D•l)el.)chair 'Strom Thurmond(RS.C.),
<br /> public hearing are provided.It munity subscribe to service Edward M.Kennedy(D-Mesa.) ranking minority member
<br /> from another cable system or an Howard M.Metzenbaum
<br /> would allow franchising authorl• alternative technology. (D•Ohlo) 'Orrin G.Hatch(R-Utah)
<br /> ties to deny the renewal of a gy 'Dennis DeConcini(D-Ariz.) Alan K Simpson(R-Wyo.)
<br /> franchise or a transfer of system Senate: Patrick J.Leahy(D•Vt.) Charles E Grassley(R Iowa)
<br /> ownership because of the cable BIII number.S.833;Sponsors: Howell Heflin(D-Ala.) Arian Specter(R-Pa.)
<br /> operator's"extensive media Metzenbaum and Lieberman; *Paul Simon(D•111.) Gordon J.Humphrey(R-N.H.)
<br /> 'Herbert Kohl(D-We.)
<br /> ownership a Committee:Senate Committee *member of the subcommittee on antitrust,monopolies and
<br /> Additionally,S.905 would Tr Commerce,Science and Po •
<br /> allow for state or local regula- Transportation business rights
<br /> tion of cable systems as a com• House: SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
<br /> mon carrier or utility.It would No bill SCIENCE,AND TRANSPORTATION
<br /> require cable systems to carry �.�...
<br /> local broadcast stations on the 'Emea1 F.Hollings'(D-S.C.)chair John C.Danforth(R-Mo.)
<br /> basic service tier in order to Competition In Cable Television 'Daniel K Inouye(D-Hawall) ranking minority member
<br /> take advantage of the eompul• Act of 1989(Metzenbaum) 'Wardell H.Ford(D-Ky.) *Bob Packwood(ROre.)
<br /> sory copyright license.The This bill would: 'J.bent G Exon((•-Term •Larry Pressler-Ala )
<br /> channel number assigned to a (1)limit the percentage of 'Albert Gore, fe ler Tenn.) 'Ted Steven((R-Alaska)
<br /> broadcast station would be the subscribers which can be 'Uo D.Rockefeller IV(D WVaa Bob neaten in(R-.)
<br /> UcYd Bentsen(D-Tex.) John McCain(R•Anz.)
<br /> channel on which the broad- served by a single entity and 'John Kerry(D-Mass.) 'Conrad Bums(R•Mont.)
<br /> caster was carried on July 19, related entities to 25 percent of 'John B.Breaux(D-La.) 'Slade Gorton(R•Wash.)
<br /> 1985,a number assigned by the the nation's cable subscribers; Richard H.Bryan(D•Nev.) Trent Lott(R-Miss.)
<br /> FCC;or a number of the broad- and Charles S.Robb(D•Va.)
<br /> caster's choosing. (2)require that programming •member of the subcommittee on communications
<br /> owned by vertically Integrated HOUSE ENERGY&COMMERCE COMMITTEE
<br /> Action Steps cable companies be made avall-
<br /> i City officials who are Inter- able to alternative technologies. 'John D.Dingell(D-Mich.),chair *Norman F.Lent(R-N.Y.),
<br /> ested in seeing congressional Senate: James H.Schauer(D-N.Y.) ranking minority member
<br /> BIII number:S.834;Sponsors: Henry A.Waxman(D-Callf.) 'Edward R.Madigan(R-111.)
<br /> tattoo m these bills should con- Do sore: Philip R.Sharp(D-Ind.) 'Carlos J.Moorhead Calll.)
<br /> tact members of their con res• Metzenbaum,Lieberman and �
<br /> 9 James J.Florio(D.N.J.) •Matthew J.Rinaldo(R•N.J.)
<br /> slonal delegation and ask them Pressler;Committee:Senate
<br /> e9 'Edward J.Markey(D•Maes.) Wiliam E Dannemeyer(RCalll.)
<br /> to cosponsor these bills.(All Committee on the Judiciary Thomas A Luken(DOhlo) Bob Whittaker(R-Kan.)
<br /> three bills generally reflect House: Doug Walgren(D-Pa.) *Tom Tauke(R-Iowa)
<br /> NLC's recently-adopted com- No bill 'Al Swift(D6Wash.) 'Don Ritter(R•Pa.)
<br /> munications policy.) *Mickey Leland(D-Tex.) 'Thomas J.Bliley Jr.(R-Va.)
<br /> In the Senate,S.833 and S. •Cardiss Collins(D-III.) *Jack Fields(R-Tex.)
<br /> 9D5 have been referred to the Cable Consumer Protection Act *Mike Synar(DOk1a.) 'Michael G.Oxley(R-0hlo)
<br /> Commerce,Science and Trans- of 1989(Ueberma^'Shays) 'WJ."Billy"Tauzin(D-La.) Howard C.Nielson(R-Utah)
<br /> This bill would: 'Ron Wyden(DOre.) Michael BIIltakls(R-Fla.)
<br /> cials should Committee.City hall• 'Ralph M.Hall(D-Tex.) *Dan Schaefer(R
<br /> -Colo.)
<br /> should write to the chair of (1)repeal rate deregulation; 'Dennis E Eckert(D-Ohlo) Joe L Barton(R Teex..)o)
<br /> the communications subcom• (2)allow for the disapproval of •Bill Richardson(D-N.M.) Sonny Callahan(R•Ala
<br /> a transfer or the denial of a )
<br /> ratites—San.Daniel Inouye •Jim Slattery(6Kan.) J.Alex McMillan(R-N.C.)
<br /> (D-Hawaii)—and the chair of the renewal because of concerns Gerry Slkorskl(D-Minn.) 'Jim Cooper(D-Tenn.)
<br /> full committee—Sen.Ernest about concentration of media *John Bryant(D-Tex.) Terry L Bruce(D-111.)
<br /> Hollings(D-S.C.)—and ask them ownership;and JIM Bates(DC,alll.) J.Roy Towland(D-Ga.)
<br /> to schedule hearings and action (3)establish modified must- 'Rick Boucher(D-Va.) Thomas J.Manton(D-N.Ya
<br /> on S.833 and S.9D5. carry and channel placement
<br /> S.834 has been referred to rules for local broadcast sta• 'member of the subcommittee on telecommunications and finance
<br /> the Senate Judiciary Committee. tions.
<br /> City officials should write to the Senate: Any member of Congress can be reached by calling the Capitol
<br /> chair of the subcommittee— BIII number.S.905;Sponsors: switchboard at RM 224-3121.
<br /> Metzenbaum—and the chair of Lieberman and Dodd;Commit- Members of the Senate can be reached by writing:
<br /> the full committee—Sen. tee:Senate Committee on Com• Son,(name) •
<br /> Joseph Baden(D.-Del.)—and ask merce,Science and Transporta• U.B.Senate
<br /> them to schedule action on S.834 tion Washington.DC 20510.
<br /> (a hearing was held on April 12). House: Members of the House of
<br /> In the House,H.R.2222 has Bill number.H.R.2222;Spon• tatting: Representatives can be by
<br /> been referred to the House sors:Shays,Downey,Neal, Rep.1-1
<br /> Energy and Commerce Commit- Pallone,Wilson,Owens,and U.S.House of Representatives
<br /> tee for action.City officials Mrazek;Committee:House Washington,DC 20515
<br /> should write the chair of the Committee on Energy and Com-
<br /> subcommittee on telecommunl- merce
<br />
|