[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 57 (Monday, April 26, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   INTRODUCTION OF H.R.--, THE SATELLITE COPYRIGHT, COMPETITION, AND 
                        CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

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                        HON. W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 26, 1999

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Coble 
and I are introducing the Satellite Copyright, Competition, and 
Consumer Protection Act. The bill represents the combined work of the 
House Committee on commerce and the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  I am pleased to report that, through hard work and difficult 
consideration, we are able to present the House an agreement on changes 
to telecommunications and copyright law in order to provide the 
American consumer with a stronger, more viable competitor to their 
incumbent cable operator. This legislation will enact comprehensive 
reforms to the offering of satellite television service. I expect that 
the reforms contained in this bill will have a dramatic and beneficial 
effect on the multichannel video programming marketplace for years to 
come.
  Consumers today expect more from their video programming providers, 
whether it be their cable company, their satellite company, their 
broadcaster or other distributors--including the Internet. Consumers 
are very savvy, and they now expect--indeed, demand--that their video 
programming distributor offer a wide array of programming at a 
reasonable cost, and with exceptional picture quality.
  Today, however, there are some limitations on the ability of 
satellite carriers to meet consumer demand. These limitations put 
satellite carriers at a competitive disadvantage to incumbent cable 
operators. The main limitation on satellite providers is the inherent 
difficulties in providing local broadcast programming via satellite. 
Even though broadcasters are experiencing a dramatic reduction in 
overall audience share compared to just a few years ago, the 
overwhelming number of consumers want local broadcast programming. 
Consumer surveys conclude that the lack of local broadcast programming 
is the number one reason some consumers are unwilling to subscribe to 
satellite service.
  The bill Mr. Coble and I are introducing today is designed to put 
satellite on competitive equal footing with cable. The bill provides 
for a compulsory license to retransmit local broadcast programming, and 
ensures carriage for local broadcast stations through retransmission 
consent/must-carry elections. The bill also provides for network non-
duplication, syndicated exclusivity, and sports blackout protections.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill combines the telecommunications provisions of 
H.R. 851, the Save Our Satellites Act of 1999 (as reported), and the 
copyright provisions of H.R. 1027, the Satellite Television Improvement 
Act (as reported). The legislative history of this bill can therefore 
be found in the applicable portions of the reports filed by our two 
Committees (i.e., H. Rep. 106-79 for Title I, and H. Rep. 106-86 for 
Title II).
  Mr. Speaker, let me thank the hard work of the large group of Members 
that had a role in bringing this new bill to introduction: Chairman 
Bliley, Ranking Member Dingell and Subcommittee Ranking Member Markey 
from the Commerce Committee; and Chairman Hyde, Subcommittee Chair 
Coble, Ranking Member Conyers and Subcommittee Ranking Member Berman 
from the Judiciary Committee. This is a bi-partisan, bi-committee 
approach to a very important legislative bill. I am pleased that we 
were all able to work together and bring this compromise to the House.

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