[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992-1993, Book II)]
[October 3, 1992]
[Pages 1751-1752]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Senate Returning Without Approval the Cable Television 
Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992
October 3, 1992

To the Senate of the United States:
    I am returning herewith without my approval S. 12, the ``Cable 
Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992.'' This bill 
illustrates good intentions gone wrong, fallen prey to special 
interests.
    Contrary to the claims made by its proponents, this legislation will 
not reduce the price Americans pay for cable television service. Rather, 
the simple truth is that under this legislation cable television rates 
will go up, not down. Competition will not increase, it will stagnate. 
In addition, this legislation will cost American jobs and discourage 
investment in telecommunications, one of our fastest growing industries.
    S. 12 is clearly long on promises. Unfortunately, it is just as 
clearly short on relief to the American families who are quite rightly 
concerned about significant increases in their cable rates and poor 
cable service. Although the proponents of S. 12 describe the bill as 
procompetitive, it simply is not. Indeed, the only truly competitive 
provision, one that would have expanded the ability of telephone 
companies to compete with cable companies in rural areas, was dropped 
from the bill at the last minute.
    S. 12 tries to address legitimate consumer concerns, but it does so 
by requiring cable companies to bear the costs of meeting major new 
federally imposed regulatory requirements and by adopting costly special 
interest provisions. For example, the bill requires cable companies for 
the first time to pay broadcasting companies, who have free access to 
the airwaves, to carry the broadcasters' programs. The undeniable 
result: higher rates for cable viewers.
    Beyond increasing consumer costs, the bill takes certain key 
business decisions away from cable operators and puts them in the hands 
of the Federal Government. One provision, which is unconstitutional, 
requires cable companies to carry certain television stations regardless 
of whether the viewing public wants to see these stations. Another 
special interest provision would put the Federal Government in the 
position of dictating to cable companies to whom and at what price they 
could sell their programs. These types of federally mandated outcomes 
will discourage continued investment in new programs to the detriment of 
cable subscribers who have come to expect a wide variety of programming 
and new services.
    I believe that the American people deserve cable television 
legislation that, unlike S. 12, will deliver what it promises: fair

[[Page 1752]]

rates, good programming, and sound service.

                                                             George Bush

The White House,
October 3, 1992.

                    Note: S. 12, which passed over the President's veto 
                        on October 5, was assigned Public Law No. 102-
                        385.