[opendtv] Joe Barton
- From: Bob Miller <bob@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 12:31:50 -0400
Barton's Opening Shot
House Commerce chairman girds for battle with broadcasters
By Bill McConnell -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/18/2004
House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton will wage his first battle
against broadcasters as early as next month when he pushes his plan to
take back TV stations' old analog channels by the end of 2006.
The showdown will be the first true test of the Texas Republican's
political muscle against one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington.
Since succeeding Louisianan Billy Tauzin as Commerce chairman late last
year, the pro-business conservative has taken the opposite side from
broadcasters only once before, when he backed greater fines for indecency.
But now Barton sees reclaiming TV spectrum to redistribute to local
safety departments and wireless companies as essential for homeland
security and the economy. If Congress takes no action on reclaiming
analog channels, stations won't be required to return the frequencies
until 85% of TV households are equipped to receive DTV signals, which
could add years, even decades to the transition.
Barton's aggressive pace puts him at odds with broadcasters, who are
trying to hold on to as many of their old channels as they can, at least
until most consumers have purchased a DTV set capable of receiving
programming on stations' new digital channels. Barton's plan was passed
by the House on voice vote as a non-binding resolution known as a "sense
of the House." Still, Barton's effort hasn't been entirely symbolic.
Putting the House position on paper gives him bargaining power if the
Senate insists on pushing a more lenient plan it passed two weeks ago,
which would reclaim only channels 62 and higher rather than all analog
channels.
"There are lots of players in this battle, and this is Barton's opening
shot," says Paul Gallant,
Washington analyst for Schwab Capital Markets. "His main goal is to make
sure there's no piecemeal DTV legislation this year."
Besting the broadcasters will be a Texas-size order. Sen. John McCain,
Barton's counterpart in the Senate, already sponsored a version that
would have set a 2009 deadline for returning all analog channels—only to
see his own committee water it down after lobbying by broadcasters.
Barton will find the going even tougher in the House, where lawmakers
represent smaller districts and are much more likely to be on a
first-name basis with station owners.
Still, Barton is undaunted—and argues that broadcasters will be better
off in the long run if channels aren't reclaimed piecemeal, as the
Senate has voted to do. "We can turn spectrum over to public safety
sooner, and all broadcasters will be able to move to their final digital
channels," he told colleagues during statement on the House floor Oct. 8.
Already, broadcasters' allies are challenging Barton's 2006 deadline and
parroting the broadcasters' prediction of dire consequences if channels
are too quickly reclaimed. "It could result in many consumers' losing
their television service," warned Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the
Commerce Committee's ranking member. "That must not happen."
Congress is now in recess, as lawmakers have returned home to campaign
for the Nov. 2 elections. The battle for the channels will resume either
after the election, when Congress returns for a lame-duck session, or in
the 2005 Congress.
If Barton can't derail a vote on the DTV issue this year, his hope is
that the non-binding language will give House negotiators the muscle to
toughen the language in the anti-terrorism bill to make broadcasters
return more of their analog channels sooner.
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