FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Addresses

Where's the Public? Media Reform in the Digital Age: Charles Benton, E771-E773 [26AP]

Amendments

Telecommunications: increase penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane material (H.R. 310), H662 [16FE]

———increase penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane material (H.R. 310), consideration (H. Res. 95), H642 [16FE]

Articles and editorials

Congress Should Retreat in `Indecency' War, E283 [18FE]

Bills and resolutions

Antitrust policy: promote transparency and reduce anti-competitive practices in the radio and concert industries (see S. 2058), S13361 [18NO]

Children and youth: protect children from increasing depictions of indecent and gratuitous and excessive violent material on television (see S. 616), S2644 [14MR]

Communications Satellite Act: strike privatization criteria for International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) separated entities and remove certain restrictions on separated and successor entities (see S. 1282), S6910 [21JN]

Community service: enforce public interest obligations of broadcast station licensees to their local communities (see H.R. 501), H285 [1FE]

Computers: oppose rules authorizing Broadband Over Power Line Systems without more comprehensive evaluation of interference potential to public safety services and other licensed radio services (see H. Res. 230), H2472 [21AP]

Government regulations: amend media ownership rules (see H.R. 1622), H1969 [13AP]

———reinstate rules for the description of video programming (see S. 900), S4257 [26AP] (see H.R. 951), H794 [17FE]

———reorganize the bureaus of the Commission to better carry out their regulatory functions (see H.R. 2982), H4722 [17JN]

Minorities: require report on ownership and control of broadcast stations used to serve language minorities (see H.R. 148), H76 [4JA]

Radio: allow the operation of low-power FM radio stations that do not interfere with the transmissions of full-power stations and protect radio reading services (see S. 312), S1115 [8FE]

———ensure the availability of spectrum to amateur radio operators (see S. 1236), S6481 [14JN] (see H.R. 691), H521 [9FE]

———expedite and increase assignment of radio spectrum frequencies to public safety agencies (see H.R. 1646), H2101 [14AP]

———implement recommendations relative to low-power FM radio service (see H.R. 3731), H7859 [13SE]

———preserve local radio broadcast emergency and other services and require the FCC to conduct rulemaking for that purpose (see H.R. 998), H845 [1MR]

———treat private land use rules as State or local regulations for purposes of certain Federal regulations (see H.R. 3876), H8341 [22SE]

Rural areas: reevaluate band plans for certain frequencies and reconfigure them to include spectrum to be licensed for small geographic areas (see S. 1767), S10424 [26SE]

Small business: increase participation in spectrum auctions (see H.R. 1661), H2101 [14AP]

Taxation: provide for a tax deferral on gain from the sale of certain telecommunications businesses or tax incentives to promote ownership diversity (see H.R. 1473), H1777 [5AP]

Telecommunications: equitably distribute universal service support throughout rural areas (see S. 284), S978 [3FE]

———expand contribution base and establish separate fund within the universal service fund to support deployment of broadband services in unserved areas (see S. 1583), S9467 [29JY]

———increase penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane material (see S. 193), S574 [26JA] (see H.R. 310), H193 [25JA]

———prohibit imposing penalties for indecent broadcasts by cable television providers, satellite carriers, Internet, or non-broadcast providers (see H.R. 1440), H1694 [17MR]

———promote and enhance public safety and encourage rapid deployment of IP-enabled voice services for emergency response networks (see S. 1063), S5437 [18MY] (see H.R. 2418), H3554 [18MY]

———review market conditions of domestic and international satellite services to promote fair competition (see S. 976), S4547 [28AP]

———shorten term of broadcast licenses and improve public access to broadcasters' public interests and programming information (see S. 383), S1413 [15FE] (see H.R. 1665), H2101 [14AP]

Telephones: prescribe rules regulating inmate telephone service rates (see H.R. 4466), H11219 [7DE]

Television: ensure full access to digital television in areas served by low-power television (see S. 1600), S9468 [29JY]

———establish minimum public interest requirements for multi-cast digital television channels (see H.R. 2359), H3261 [12MY]

———prohibit from requiring digitial television tuners in television receivers (see H.R. 2354), H3261 [12MY]

———provide grants to train court reporters and other individuals to become real-time writers to meet requirements for closed captioning of video programming (see S. 268), S886 [2FE]

———reinstate authority of the FCC and local franchising authorities to regulate cable television rates (see H.R. 1730), H2393 [20AP]

Universal Service Administration Co.: exempt from Antideficiency Act accounting rules to improve administration of, and prevent increases in, contributions to the Universal Service Fund (see S. 241), S739 [1FE] (see H.R. 2533), H3768 [23MY]

Remarks in House

Business and industry: prevent excessive concentration of ownership of media outlets, E771 [26AP]

Government regulations: ensure regular updates to the Industry Guidance Regarding Broadcast Decency document, H660 [16FE]

———reinstate rules for the description of video programming (H.R. 951), E285 [18FE]

Radio: expedite and increase assignment of radio spectrum frequencies to public safety agencies (H.R. 1646), E665 [15AP]

Small business: increase participation in spectrum auctions (H.R. 1661), E662 [15AP]

Telecommunications: conduct proceeding on unlicensed operation of wireless broadband devices in vacant broadcast bands, E2447 [6DE]

———conduct proceeding on unlicensed operaton of wireless broadband devices in vacant broadcast bands, H10630 [17NO]

———increase penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane material (H.R. 310), H653-H664 [16FE], E283 [18FE], E323 [1MR]

———increase penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane material (H.R. 310), amendment process, H568 [10FE]

———shorten term of broadcast licenses and improve public access to broadcasters' public interests and programming information (H.R. 1665), E663 [15AP]

Remarks in Senate

Antitrust policy: promote transparency and reduce anti-competitive practices in the radio and concert industries (S. 2058), S13367 [18NO]

Budget: allocation of funds, S13991 [19DE]

Children and youth: protect children from increasing depictions of indecent and gratuitous and excessive violent material on television (S. 616), S2649 [14MR]

Government regulations: reinstate rules for the description of video programming (S. 900), S4259 [26AP]

Presidential appointments: nominations considered and confirmed en bloc, S14290 [21DE]

Radio: allow the operation of low-power FM radio stations that do not interfere with the transmissions of full-power stations and protect radio reading services (S. 312), S1123-S1125 [8FE]

Reorganization, S10069 [15SE]

Rural areas: reevaluate band plans for certain frequencies and reconfigure them to include spectrum to be licensed for small geographic areas (S. 1767), S10426 [26SE]

Supreme Court: decision blocking implementation of FCC rules relaxing media ownership restrictions, S6356 [13JN]

Telecommunications: equitably distribute universal service support throughout rural areas (S. 284), S985 [3FE]

———expand contribution base and establish separate fund within the universal service fund to support deployment of broadband services in unserved areas (S. 1583), S9505-S9507 [29JY]

———increase penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane material (H.R. 310), S1694 [17FE], S1724 [18FE]

———review market conditions of domestic and international satellite services to promote fair competition (S. 976), S4607 [28AP]

———shorten term of broadcast licenses and improve public access to broadcasters' public interests and programming information (S. 383), S1424 [15FE]

Television: digital television converter box subsidy program funding, S12207-S12210 [2NO]

———ensure full access to digital television in areas served by low-power television, S14211 [21DE]

———ensure full access to digital television in areas served by low-power television (S. 1600), S9520 [29JY]

———provide grants to train court reporters and other individuals to become real-time writers to meet requirements for closed captioning of video programming (S. 268), S900 [2FE], S7939 [1JY]

———exempt from Antideficiency Act accounting rules to improve administration of, and prevent increases in, contributions to the Universal Service Fund (S. 241), S749 [1FE]

Reports filed

Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act: Committee on Energy and Commerce (House) (H.R. 310) (H. Rept. 109-5), H586 [14FE]

Consideration of H.R. 310, Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act: Committee on Rules (House) (H. Res. 95) (H. Rept. 109-6), H627 [15FE]

IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 1063) (S. Rept. 109-211), S14185 [20DE]

Training for Realtime Writers Act: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) (S. 268) (S. Rept. 109-93), S7428 [27JN]

Statements

Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act: Executive Office of the President, H656 [16FE]

———John King, Vermont Public Television, H640 [16FE]

Tables

Estimated cost of set-top box subsidy, assuming cable and DBS downconversion, only over-the-air households are subsidized, S12209 [2NO]

Texts of

H. Res. 95, consideration of H.R. 310, Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, H635 [16FE]

H.R. 310, Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act, H653-H655 [16FE]

S. 268, Training for Realtime Writers Act, S901 [2FE], S7939-S7941 [1JY]

S. 284, Rural Universal Service Equity Act, S986 [3FE]

S. 312, Local Community Radio Act, S1123 [8FE]

S. 383, Localism in Broadcasting Reform Act, S1425 [15FE]

S. 616, Indecent and Gratuitous and Excessively Violent Programming Control Act, S2650-S2652 [14MR]

S. 976, review market conditions of domestic and international satellite services to promote fair competition, S4607 [28AP]

S. 1282, strike Communications Satellite Act privatization criteria for International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) separated entities and remove certain restrictions on separated and successor entities, S6977 [21JN], H5372 [29JN]

S. 1583, Universal Service for the 21st Century Act, S9506 [29JY]

S. 2058, Radio and Concert Disclosure and Competition Act, S13368 [18NO]