Markup of bill reauthorizing the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act.

Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet
Fred Upton, Chairman
April 28, 2004
10:00 AM

Webcast: Complete

The webcast has concluded.

Committee Print SATELLITE HOME VIEWER EXTENSION AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2004, was approved for Full Committee consideration, as amended, by voice vote.

The following amendments were offered:

An amendment by Mr. Upton, No. 1, to (1) allow "grandfathered Grade B subscribers" who have both distant and local signals at the date of enactment to keep their distant signal or their local signal, whichever they prefer, but not both; (2) to make a technical correction; and, (3) to change the date to the later date of 60 days after enactment of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004 or within 60 days after the local signal of a network station of the same network is available pursuant to a statutory license under section 122, as it relates to notices to subscribers concerning grandfathered signals, was AGREED to by voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Markey, No. 2, to amend section 338 of the Communications Act of 1934 to require a satellite carrier to provide to each subscriber the same protections for privacy rights that a cable operator is required to provide to a subscriber of cable service under section 631 of the Communications Act of 1934, and establish parity for satellite carriers to cable operators for the purposes of section 631, was AGREED to by voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Deal, No. 3, to (1) create a new section which requires the Federal Communications Commission to prescribe rules to prohibit any multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) from entering into a contract with any video programming producer that would preclude the MVPD from voluntarily offering a la carte or special tier programming to the MVPD's subscriber; (2) to set requirements for the rules; (3) to require the FCC to use its authority to ensure there is no discriminatory or collusive practices preventing the flow of video programming to the public and ascertain if there are practices that impede consumers' abilities to receive maximum choice of programming under reasonable terms and conditions; and, (4) to provide the FCC with the authority to suspend enforcement of a provision of a contract, entered into after the date of enactment of this Act, that would preclude an MVPD from voluntarily offering a la carte or special tier programming, was WITHDRAWN.

THE SUBCOMMITTEE ADJOURNED SUBJECT TO THE CALL OF THE CHAIR.

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