House Clears Satellite TV Bill
May 12, 2010
| 3:50 PM
The House cleared legislation Wednesday that would renew the law governing the retransmission of broadcast television content by satellite companies such as DIRECTV and the DISH Network.
The legislation, which the House passed by voice vote, now heads to President Obama's desk. It would renew for five years the statutory licenses, set to expire at the end of the month, that allow satellite TV companies to retransmit broadcast stations to their customers. The measure also aims to modernize and simplify the licenses and encourage satellite providers to make more local content available, according to a statement from Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
"This is a good bill that will preserve and improve the service that customers across the country are accustomed to receiving, and I am pleased that it will finally be signed into law," said Leahy, who authored the bill.
The DISH Network said in a news release that the bill clears the way for the company to be the first satellite TV provider "to make local broadcast stations available in every television market in the United States."
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