Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., insisted Thursday he's also making progress on Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization, amid two House committees' success this week in advancing their own renewal bills. Wicker postponed a markup earlier this month of his original Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act (S-2789) amid committee members' objections (see 1911130055). That bill would renew STELA through 2024. The law is set to expire Dec. 31.
Jimm Phillips
Jimm Phillips, Associate Editor, covers telecommunications policymaking in Congress for Communications Daily. He joined Warren Communications News in 2012 after stints at the Washington Post and the American Independent News Network. Phillips is a Maryland native who graduated from American University. You can follow him on Twitter: @JLPhillipsDC
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's Monday decision to pursue a public auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz band (see 1911180026) has shifted some lawmakers' attention from forcing the commission's hand to ensuring proceeds from the sale are allocated for rural broadband deployments and other telecom priorities. Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La., and House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., are aiming to continue advancing the Clearing Broad Airwaves for New Deployment (C-Band) Act (HR-4855/S-2921) as a potential proceeds allocation mechanism. Kennedy discussed potential pay-for options for C-band proceeds during a Thursday Senate Appropriations Financial Services hearing.
House legislation to reauthorize parts of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act advanced Wednesday out of the chamber's Commerce Committee, and the Judiciary Committee was expected to clear its related bill after our deadline that evening. Commerce advanced the Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035) on a voice vote after Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and committee ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., reached a deal on a compromise manager's amendment.
The House Commerce Committee was still waiting early Tuesday night to mark up the Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035) and nine other tech and telecom bills, amid a protracted debate on unrelated measures. The tech and telecom measures besides HR-5035 appeared all but certain to advance out of committee on voice votes. HR-5035, which would reauthorize parts of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, also appeared likely to pass, albeit on a more uncertain roll call vote. House Commerce leaders failed to reach a deal before the markup on a compromise manager's amendment to HR-5035, dashing hopes for an easy consensus. The House Judiciary Committee remained on track to mark up the related Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act (HR-5140) Wednesday.
The path forward on House work on Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization remained murky Monday, before a Tuesday Commerce Committee markup of its Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035) and the Judiciary Committee's circulation of the related Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act (see 1911180014). The House Communications Subcommittee advanced HR-5035 last week on a voice vote, though House Commerce ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., and others raised concerns (see 1911140056). The Senate Commerce Committee postponed consideration (see 1911130055) of the similar Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act (S-2789) amid committee members' revolt.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., is expected to file this afternoon legislation that would make permanent a far more limited version of the distant-signal compulsory license currently authorized under the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, communications sector officials and lobbyists told us. STELA is the subject of an intensifying reauthorization debate on Capitol Hill, with the House Commerce Committee set to mark up a renewal bill Tuesday.
The House Communications Subcommittee advanced the Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035) and eight other bills on voice votes Thursday, as expected (see 1911130001). The subcommittee's debate over HR-5035, which would renew parts of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, signals that measure faces a rockier path at a House Commerce Committee markup. The vote happened a day after the Senate Commerce Committee postponed a markup (see 1911130055) of the similar Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act (S-2789) amid a committee members' revolt led by ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. STELA is set to expire Dec. 31.
House and Senate Commerce committee efforts to advance Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act reauthorization legislation appeared to be going in different directions Wednesday. Senate Commerce Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., pulled his STELA bill, the Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act (S-2789), from a committee markup. Several lobbyists cited a revolt by some Democratic and Republican members as the reason for the postponement. House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., appeared on the verge of advancing his renewal measure, the Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035), during a planned Thursday markup. STELA is currently set to expire Dec. 31.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai appears to have forestalled further wrath Wednesday from Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman John Kennedy, R-La. Pai signaled his willingness to make commission spectrum auction officials available for a second subcommittee hearing on Kennedy's concerns about a potential private auction of spectrum on the 3.7-4.2 GHz C band (see 1910170038). Pai's expected to propose a private auction plan for a vote at commissioners' Dec. 12 meeting (see 1910100052). Kennedy also said Wednesday he plans to file a Senate version of the Clearing Broad Airwaves for New Deployment (C-Band) Act (HR-4855), which would require a public FCC auction of 200-300 MHz of “contiguous” spectrum in the swath by Sept. 30, 2022 (see 1910240046). Kennedy told reporters Wednesday he now expects the hearing to happen Nov. 21, a day later than he expected last week (see 1911070064). He threatened Tuesday to subpoena FCC auction officials amid concerns the commission might be stonewalling his attempts to schedule the officials' testimony. Kennedy didn't take that possibility completely off the table Wednesday after a morning conversation with Pai, but he told reporters he believed the talk “went well.” Kennedy said he “asked [Pai] for his cooperation in having [the officials] appear on [Nov. 21] and he said he would cooperate,” so the hearing can proceed. An FCC spokesperson confirmed Pai “spoke with [Kennedy] this morning about scheduling any witnesses he would need” for the hearing. “We have been working with [Kennedy] on this issue, including through a recent briefing by FCC staff, and we will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said. “If I have to, I'll issue subpoenas, but I don't think we'll get” to that point, Kennedy said. “If you leave folks to their own devices, they'll appear voluntarily. But sometimes others weigh in and suggest that they not be so anxious to testify. I'm not saying that's the case here. But if I do sense that somebody's stalling and re-stalling, I'll subpoena them.” He wants to call in the same group of “senior experts” on spectrum auctions he met with recently (see 1911010052). Kennedy has been working to retain Senate Appropriations Committee-backed pro-public auction language (see 1909190079) in the chamber's version of the FY 2020 FCC-FTC budget bill (S-2524) despite opposition from Senate Commerce Committee GOP leaders. “I'm not going to let this go,” Kennedy said. “I'm going to continue to pursue this issue like a hound from hell. And if the FCC wants to go forward and screw the American taxpayer, I will remind them of the mistake they made every day for the rest of their natural lives.” LightShed’s Walter Piecyk voiced skepticism Wednesday over chances President Donald Trump's administration will side with Kennedy. The administration continues to seem "more interested in winning the Race To 5G and will support” whatever decision Pai makes,” the analyst wrote.
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., returned Tuesday from that chamber's week-plus recess brimming with optimism about pending subcommittee progress on telecom priorities, before a planned Thursday subcommittee markup of his Television Viewer Protection Act (HR-5035) and eight other measures. The markup will have a bipartisan flavor and “it wouldn't surprise me” if the subcommittee clears all nine measures on voice votes, Doyle said. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.