[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 131 (Monday, September 19, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  STAN HUBBARD AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, America is about choices. That is 
what freedom is all about--the opportunity for individual citizens to 
make decisions, whether in politics or in other areas of life.
  We judge the quality of life in terms of the breadth and 
meaningfulness of our choices. When someone can say, ``There's not a 
dime's worth of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats,'' 
we take this as criticism of the quality of our politics. It means 
voters do not have enough choice.
  When Bruce Springsteen sings that there are 57 channels and nothing 
on, it is a criticism of the quality of our mass entertainment. There 
may be many things to choose from, but the quality is so low that 
choice is meaningless.
  Our politics--our mass entertainment--and indeed, our anything--will 
not be adequate unless we make them adequate. And that is why 
individuals like Stan Hubbard are so important.
  Social progress begins when an individual has a dream. And social 
progress becomes a reality when a community starts sharing that dream.
  Stanley S. Hubbard has a dream. He believes that the people of this 
country are willing to pay extra for more choices in the information 
and entertainment they watch on TV. That is why--earlier this month--he 
unveiled the Digital Satellite System.
  Over the last decade, he has invested herculean effort--and over $100 
million--in the development of this wireless-communication technology.
  In the near future, this undertaking will employ hundreds of 
Minnesotans and put millions of dollars into our State's economy.
  But this project is not about the near future. It is about the next 
century. And I think that with his focus on consumer choice--and 
bringing a new world to the TV viewers of this country--Stan Hubbard is 
exemplifying values as old as this Nation.
  Indeed, the Hubbard tradition itself is about some fundamental 
American values. In 1923, when Hubbard Broadcasting was founded, it was 
America's first broadcasting company relying on advertising sales for 
its income. This combination of smart business sense and public service 
has been a central feature of U.S. broadcasting ever since.

  In 1925, Hubbard Broadcasting created the first full-time radio news 
department in the United States. In 1950, it inaugurated the first 
regularly scheduled, 7-day-a-week television news show.
  In 1981 came the creation of the Hubbard subsidiary known as United 
States Satellite Broadcasting, Inc. [USSB]. USSB is the longest-
standing Direct Broadcast Satellite licensee in the United States--a 
true pioneer in satellite broadcasting.
  In 1983, Hubbard Broadcasting founded Conus Communications, which 
rapidly became a leader in satellite newsgathering.
  And in 1993, when America's first high-power DBS satellite was 
launched, USSB owned 5 of the 16 available transponders.
  If tradition--combined with a continuous record of accomplishment--is 
anything to go by, Minnesota's own Hubbard Broadcasting is poised to be 
a major force in American communications well into the 21st century.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that an editorial about Stan 
Hubbard--and his vision for U.S. broadcasting--from the Minneapolis 
Star Tribune of September 13 be included in the Record at the 
conclusion of my remarks.
  There being no objection, the editorial was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

          [From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Sept. 13, 1994]

                               Hubbard TV


                ONE MAN'S VISION BRINGS PLEASURE TO MANY

       Like many inventions, the Digital Satellite System 
     technology launched Friday in the Twin Cities began as a 
     necessity for one man, in this case Stanley S. Hubbard. 
     Believing that television viewers wanted and would pay for 
     more choices than those offered by cable and commercial 
     broadcasting, Hubbard invested more than $100 million to 
     develop a wireless communications system. Anyone so 
     determined that a dream be brought to reality deserves a tip 
     of the hat.
       DSS didn't just appear on store shelves last weekend. 
     Hubbard has been working on the concept for more than a 
     decade. An example of his vision is a decision to incorporate 
     hardware that will allow DSS to be compatible with technology 
     that isn't yet available. That means the $700 system 
     consumers buy today won't soon become obsolete.
       Those most likely to embrace Hubbard's vision right off are 
     the truly avid television viewers, the ones who understand 
     too well Bruce Springsteen's frustration as he sings about 
     shooting a TV because there were ``57 channels and nothing 
     on.'' Whether they are sports enthusiasts who yearn to watch 
     all televised pro football games or fishermen who'd like to 
     bring a satellite connection into ice houses this winter, 
     they're likely to love Hubbard's hot-dishes.
       Many Minnesotans also stand to benefit in other ways from 
     Hubbard's vision. USSB's potential economic impact in 
     Minnesota is substantial:
       A payroll, including benefits, that may reach the $10 
     million to $12 million range by the year 2000.
       An annual tax contribution of up to $100 million within 10 
     years.
       A Minnesota work force of up to 300 by the year 2000.
       Hubbard Broadcasting's jointly owned All News Channel will 
     be poised to achieve national growth and possibly bring 
     prominence to St. Paul in much the way Cable News Network has 
     brought it to Atlanta.
       Anyone inclined to dismiss Hubbard's satellite system 
     should reflect on the earlier case of CNN and Ted Turner, 
     Confounding early skepticism and scorn, Turner and his 
     network have had a major impact on the world.
       Who says that vision no longer matters? Turner's CNN and 
     Hubbard's new DSS offer proof that it matters a lot.

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