Date: 2014-11-19
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5728. the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization. This is the continuation of our bipartisan efforts this year to ensure that 1.5 million satellite subscribers dont lose access to broadcast programming when the current satellite television law expires at the end of this year and to make some targeted reforms to the video marketplace. The bill before us today represents a compromise with our colleagues from the Senate. and I look forward to working with them to quickly see it passed into law. In July. the House passed H.R. 4572. to reauthorize the expiring communications and copyright law that allows households across America. but especially those in rural areas. access to broadcast content. In addition. the Energy and Commerce Committee on which I serve was able to come to agreement on several key reforms to our video laws to benefit the TVwatching public. H.R. 5728 maintains these bipartisan provisions from the bill we adopted in July. in particular addressing the abuses in the retransmission consent process. The bill prevents two noncommonly owned broadcasters from colluding to jointly negotiate for retransmission consent. The Energy and Commerce Committee heard extensive testimony about how this practice drives up prices for consumers and potentially threatens access to local broadcast content. I also want to emphasize that this language does not permit broadcast stations that are deemed "commonly owned" as a result of the joint sales agreement to negotiate jointly for retransmission consent. Our colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee proposed additional proconsumer reforms. and I am pleased that we were able to include those in H.R. 5728. Mr. Speaker. these provisions include an FCC rulemaking to assess the standard for determining whether parties are negotiating in good faith for retransmission consent. a prohibition on broadcasters preventing significantly viewed signals from being carried in local markets. and greater transparency for consumers by including retransmission consent payments in the FCCs report on cable rates. H.R. 5728 also makes further changes to the provisions that were heavily debated in the House during consideration of H.R. 4572. The bill now extends by 6 months the deadline for broadcasters to unwind certain joint sales agreements. a rule which the FCC tightened earlier this year to address concerns that broadcaster coordination in local markets were undermining localism. competition. and diversity. Finally. H.R. 5728 reflects further compromise on the FCCs cable settop box rules. The FCCs integration banthe rule written to promote competition in the cable settop box marketwill sunset in 1 year. This wellintentioned rule has not resulted in the kind of competition Congress envisioned and has actually caused significant energy inefficiencies in cable settop boxes. Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that we are including an idea from our Senate colleagues to create a working group that is charged with identifying a successor solution. I support further efforts to promote competition in the settop box market and look forward to engaging with the working group and the FCC on this issue. I want to thank Chairman UPTON and Chairman WALDEN. and on the Senate side. Chairman ROCKEFELLER and Ranking Member THUNE. also our ranking members on our side of the aisle. Ranking Members WAXMAN and ESHOO. and other Democrats on our committee. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.