[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 33 (Wednesday, March 15, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2205-S2206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself, Mr. Baucus, and Mr. Lott):
  S. 2418. A bill to preserve local radio broadcast emergency and other 
services and to require the Federal Communications Commission to 
conduct a rulemaking for that purpose; to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I stand before my colleagues today to 
announce the introduction of a bill that will preserve an important 
resource needed during times of an emergency--free, local, over-the-air 
radio broadcasting. The Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act 
ensures that terrestrial radio service does not suffer from the entry 
of subscription-based satellite services into local markets.
  The most reliable form of communication today is radio. Oftentimes 
during natural disasters and other emergencies, many forms of 
communications become unavailable to the public. Wireless systems can 
be overloaded with calls. Satellite television service is interrupted 
by extreme weather conditions. Internet service connections are 
frequently disconnected. In contrast, over-the-air radio is an 
ubiquitous form of mass media that is available to nearly every car and 
household in the nation. The system cannot be overloaded and operates 
well under extreme weather conditions. Radio has been meeting the 
demands of local communities for nearly a century and is equipped to 
continue its service well into the next century.
  In 1997 satellite digital audio radio service, SDARS, was licensed by 
the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, to provide a national radio 
programming service. Today satellite

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radio companies provide their service to consumers on a subscription 
basis. The cost of the radio equipment needed to receive the service is 
reasonable for the enthusiast, but too costly for low income 
households. For many families, satellite radio is not an option. 
Instead, these people must rely on traditional over-the-air radio for 
weather, traffic, news and local information.
  Should satellite companies begin to enter into local markets, going 
against the original spirit of the license agreement, local radio 
stations would suffer revenue loss. Advertising dollars are the radio 
broadcast industry's sole source of revenue. The technology exists for 
satellite companies to deliver local content, including local 
advertisements. Satellite industry players have publically stated that 
local advertising dollars could quickly become a new revenue source. 
This threat to free radio is a threat to the public interest.
  The Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act eases the threat 
to radio broadcasting. First the bill prohibits the use of satellite 
terrestrial repeaters to insert local content into specific local 
markets. Second, this legislation clarifies that future technologies 
cannot be used to distribute local satellite programming. Lastly, the 
act requires the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, to conduct a 
rulemaking on the distribution of region-specific content on a 
nationwide basis.
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