[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1948-S1949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  LAUNCHING OUR COMMUNITIES' ACCESS TO LOCAL TELEVISION ACT OF 2000--
                               Continued

  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, many of us worked very hard last year to 
reauthorize and update the Satellite Home Viewer Act.
  Our principle accomplishment was to authorize satellite carriers to 
provide local television stations to their subscribers. This change has 
already spurred enormous growth in the satellite industry and is 
providing growing competition to the cable industry.
  Unfortunately, the satellite providers--Echostar and DirecTV--made it 
very clear that their business plans did not contemplate serving rural 
areas. They were very busy, and they were very upfront in telling us 
that they were focusing their energies on the top 40 television 
markets.
  So it was clear to Senators like myself who represent rural States 
that local-into-local was not going to be a reality unless we took 
additional action to encourage coverage for the 50 percent of the 
population that could watch the service being offered in television 
ads, but couldn't pick up the phone and order it.
  We still see a lot of ``not available in Alaska and Hawaii'' fine 
print on advertisements.
  They plagued us during telephone days, and now they are plaguing us 
in this period of rapid extension of new technology.
  That is where the idea was born to provide loan guarantees to help 
make this service more available to more Americans.
  All of us owe Senator Conrad Burns a debt of gratitude for pushing 
this issue so hard and for drafting the measure that was included in 
last year's

[[Page S1949]]

satellite bill. That provision was dropped.
  While it was unfortunate that this provision was removed from the 
final bill, I am pleased that it is here today, albeit in another form.
  It is my hope the Senate will move quickly to adopt this measure and 
will resist accepting amendments that would threaten its ultimate 
enactment.
  I thank the Chair and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________