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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 |
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_____________________________________________________________________________|
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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>--~
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Posted by Richard K. Moore (•••@••.•••) Wexford, Ireland
Cyber-Rights: http://www.cpsr.org/cpsr/nii/cyber-rights/
CyberLib: http://www.internet-eireann.ie/cyberlib
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