@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Date: Sat, 23 Dec 95 From: "W. Curtiss Priest" <•••@••.•••> To: Multiple recipients of list <•••@••.•••> Subject: Fields statement on Telecom Bill (via Bell Atlantic) Thursday, December 21, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: BRYAN WIRWICZ FIELDS SAYS THERE'S "NO DEAL" YET TON TELECOM REFORM WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Jack Fields, chairman of the House Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee, has denied widespread media reports that a deal has been reached between House and Senate conferees and the White House on the telecommunications reform bill conference report. "Talks are continuing, and I'm hopeful and agreement can be reached soon. But there's no deal yet," Fields said Thursday morning following a meeting with the House Republican leadership. Vice President Al Gore reportedly announced an agreement had been reached Wednesday evening. "That is not accurate," Fields added. "While everyone wants toreach an agreement as soon as possible, there are fundamental principles to which the House conferees are committed -- principles which we are not wiling to abandon simply to reach a deal. We are interested in reaching a good agreement -- not just any agreement." "House conferees have still not had an opportunity to review theproposed conference report, and before they have that opportunity,any claim of an agreement is premature," Fields added. _______________________________________________________________________________ | W. Curtiss Priest, Ph.D., Director *********************** | | Center for Information, Technology, & Society * Improving humanity * | | * through technology * | | 466 Pleasant Street *********************** | | Melrose, MA 02176-4522 •••@••.••• | | Voice: 617-662-4044 | | Fax: 617-662-6882 WWW: gopher://gopher.eff.org/hh/Groups/CITS | _____________________________________________________________________________| @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Date: Sat, 23 Dec 1995 From: •••@••.••• To: Multiple recipients of list <•••@••.•••> Subject: Telecom Post #20 - Happy Holidays ~--<snip>--~ TOPICS 1. STATE OF THE TELECOM BILL 2. MEDIA CONCENTRATION 3. FREEDOM OF SPEECH 4. BELL ENTRY INTO LONG DISTANCE ~--<snip>--~ MEDIA CONCENTRATION This issue was the final sticking point. Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) and the White House were the main opponents of the language in HR1555 and S652, claiming it would do more to develop unregulated monopolies than unleashing "wild" competition as intended. I saw a prediction somewhere that we are likely to see our current field of 15 major carriers reduced to a somewhere between 2-4 once the dust clears from the merger frenzy. It is this set of compromises that has the GOP up in arms right now. It is also the basis on which the White House has lifted its threat of veto. The following list contains the compromises reached. The worst case category refers to language that exists in the House and/or the Senate bills. Until this legislation is law, the worst case language is still in contention for inclusion in the final bill. You be the judge. Radio station ownership: Worst case - no limits on the number of radio stations owned by a single entity within a single market. Compromise - no more that 8 radio stations owned by a single entity within a single market Current law - no more than 2 AM and 2 FM stations owned by a single entity within a single market TV Broadcast: Worst case - A single network can own stations reaching 35% of the nation's households. The FCC can waive that limit. A single network can own 2 stations in a single market. Compromise - A single network can own stations reaching 35% of the nation's households. The FCC cannot waive that limit. A single network cannot own 2 stations in a single market but the FCC can waive that limit. Current law - A single network can own stations reaching 25% of the nation's households. A single network cannot own 2 stations in the same market. TV/Newspaper Ownership Worst case - no limits on owning both in a single market. Compromise - A TV station is not allowed to own a newspaper in the same market. Current - A TV station is not allowed to own a newspaper in the same market. Telco/Cable Worst case - Telephone companies can merge with cable companies in markets of 50,000 or less. Compromise - Telephone companies can merge with cable companies in markets of 50,000 or less but only in rural, not urban, areas. Current - Telephone companies cannot merge with cable companies. Rubert Murdoch lost one. Currently he owns minority stakes in TV stations that reach 38% of national households. The FCC is able to restrict that reach. A provision in the original language would have prevented the FCC from imposing that restriction but it was rejected meaning that Fox may have to give up some of its stations. ~--<snip>--~ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~--~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~ Posted by Richard K. Moore (•••@••.•••) Wexford, Ireland Cyber-Rights: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/ CyberLib: http://www.internet-eireann.ie/cyberlib ** NOTE ** Temporarily submit postings to •••@••.••• ~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~--~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~