07-25-1988 - Agenda Packet City Council - regular meeting

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Markey Sees New Fight Over Fairness Doctrine BY 4eannkrs Aearm WASHINGTON—The now defunct Fairness Doctrine will be "one of the rust items on the new presidents deck next year," predicted Rep. Edward Markey ID-MA1, chairman of the House telecommunications subcommittee, in a speech Bill Would Require Systems to Report Rates to FCC Monthly WASHINGTON — A House bill wee introduced last week that would require every cable system in the country to report its subscriber rate to the Fed- eral Communleatfons Com- mission on a monthly basism. Ilse hill's epnnr, Rep. Charles 5-homer 1 D-N Y I, mid the legislation is needed to de- termine the effects of deregsla. lion on consumers. "Cum. prehmsfve, and mlinhle infnr- motfon is not available," the congressmen mid. before some 100 general man. &gem of independent television stations last week. The mangers were here for their annual meeting sponsor- ed by the Association of Inde- pendent Television Stations. They were updated on legfal.t. ive and regulatory issues, and they met with congressmen. Rep. Markey mid the pub- lic interest standard, which is the foundation for bmedmnt television, has been msnreec- led this year. He mid in the lost six years, as broadcasters have seen their business de- regulated, there aim has been a loaaening of public interest obligations as evidenced by the elimination of the doctrine The doctrine had required broadcasters to present oppos- ing news when covering con- troversial issue.. The Federal Communications Commimion The first report under the Cable Rate Dinelnsnre An or JIM (H.R. 4(g,%I. which be, 16 cooponaom, would have In Provide information dating back to Jon I. I'I8 7. Ilse be- ginning of cute deregulation. Each month. the FCC would be requires] to is car a statistics, breakdown of the collected in- formation. Anthony Wiener. a legislat- ive aide to Rep. Schumer. Mid the congo mmon hnan't yet contacted the House telreem- municatfnns aubemnmitt, about hearings on the four. The suhcmomill"'s chair- man. Rep. Edward Markey ID-MAI, directed file General Accounting Office lost mnnlb m conduct a study of the ef- fects of deregulation to rm- oncile the divergent reanhs From Other surveys purpnrtnlly documenting role increases. "(Rep. Srhumerl feel. that something more than the GAO study is nrmssnry," Mr. Wiener Mid. Rep. Elton GalleglglR-CAI earlier this month immdur d a bill (II. R. 47021 lmi will ale, direct the FCC to rood net n study of the import from rate deregulation (arc Afu6ichannel Neva, June 13, page .101.0 scrapped the docrine Ins, August, saying that it Im- mmomrfly chills broadcasters and is an unwarranted burden on free speech. The Iloum s overwhelming passage of children', television legislation earlier this month illustrates that the public interest standard has come to life Main. Rep. Markey Mid. That bill, pending Senate action, would limit the amount of commercials that tan he is wdcml with children s shows. It also would empower the FCC to asmsajust how well a TV station is serving its chil- dren a audience. Industry deregulation —led by the FCCwer the last six ,years has been overbroad, he charged. Deregulation bee been conducted with "Paul Runyan s a. rather than with , "Mrgkal scapeh" Rep. Markey mid. Policy seekers should bal. once between she two extreme, and should make "Reafhl:' policies that can respond to changes in the marketplace, he mid. Policy for implementing high definition television in the United States is a good exam- ple of policy that will need so be flexible, Rep. Markey mid. What decisions the gov- emmenl will make in this ,me will guide the development of a business that could fuel domestic trade in the mn- sumers dectomice arena, he mid. Ile called the U.S.' eur. most activity in this area of trade "moribund." lie aim Mid the broad - enters' real fear concerning I I DTV policy is that "if a decf- .ion is not handled well, it will be the death knell for let- restrial broadcasting."❑