Gugi47
06-16-2009, 07:12 PM
Lawmakers Consider Renewal of Satellite Home Viewer Act
Lawmakers on Tuesday considered the effects of changing rules for satellite television providers, with a group of experts split over whether looser restrictions would hurt the industry.
Some argued that allowing satellite TV providers wider latitude to send channels into other markets could hurt some local stations, while others stated that other means of delivery, like the Internet, would prevent serious problems from the changes.
The information was discussed at a hearing of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, where lawmakers considered renewal of The Satellite Home Viewer Act.
The Satellite Home Viewer Act was established in 1999, and it allows satellite carriers to transmit local television broadcast signals into local markets. It also allows them to provide distant or national broadcast programming to subscribers.
Preston Padden, executive vice president of government relations at Disney, testified before the committee that distant signals could potentially do harm to local stations.
"While there is never a good time to negatively affect advertising revenue, there could never be a worse time than right now," Padden said.
He added, "Earlier this month, Nielsen reported that first quarter 2009 television spot advertising expenditures dropped 16 percent in the top 100 television markets and a stunning 29 percent in smaller broadcast markets."
Paul Karpowicz, chairman of the TV board of the National Association of Broadcasters and the president of Meredith Broadcasting, testified that the "satellite industry wants to change the law so that they can bring in duplicative network and national syndicated programming."
He cited an example of WHNS-TV, Meredith's Fox affiliate in Greenville, SC. He argued that if a satellite operator imported the Fox channel in Charlotte, NC, WHNS would lose audience.
"As a result, we would have fewer resources to serve the viewers… with local programming, including news, weather, emergency information, and other local services," Karpowicz said.
"In addition, a satellite or cable operator in a retransmission consent dispute could try to drop the viewer's local station in these North Carolina communities and instead carry a distant Fox affiliate, thereby depriving viewers of local information."
Meanwhile, Mike Mountford, CEO of the National Programming Service, took the opposite position, urging lawmakers to lift restrictions on satellite signals.
Lawmakers on Tuesday considered the effects of changing rules for satellite television providers, with a group of experts split over whether looser restrictions would hurt the industry.
Some argued that allowing satellite TV providers wider latitude to send channels into other markets could hurt some local stations, while others stated that other means of delivery, like the Internet, would prevent serious problems from the changes.
The information was discussed at a hearing of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, where lawmakers considered renewal of The Satellite Home Viewer Act.
The Satellite Home Viewer Act was established in 1999, and it allows satellite carriers to transmit local television broadcast signals into local markets. It also allows them to provide distant or national broadcast programming to subscribers.
Preston Padden, executive vice president of government relations at Disney, testified before the committee that distant signals could potentially do harm to local stations.
"While there is never a good time to negatively affect advertising revenue, there could never be a worse time than right now," Padden said.
He added, "Earlier this month, Nielsen reported that first quarter 2009 television spot advertising expenditures dropped 16 percent in the top 100 television markets and a stunning 29 percent in smaller broadcast markets."
Paul Karpowicz, chairman of the TV board of the National Association of Broadcasters and the president of Meredith Broadcasting, testified that the "satellite industry wants to change the law so that they can bring in duplicative network and national syndicated programming."
He cited an example of WHNS-TV, Meredith's Fox affiliate in Greenville, SC. He argued that if a satellite operator imported the Fox channel in Charlotte, NC, WHNS would lose audience.
"As a result, we would have fewer resources to serve the viewers… with local programming, including news, weather, emergency information, and other local services," Karpowicz said.
"In addition, a satellite or cable operator in a retransmission consent dispute could try to drop the viewer's local station in these North Carolina communities and instead carry a distant Fox affiliate, thereby depriving viewers of local information."
Meanwhile, Mike Mountford, CEO of the National Programming Service, took the opposite position, urging lawmakers to lift restrictions on satellite signals.