Washington still trying to impress voters by hauling Digital Video Execs into hearings. You would think that they are selling tobaco..................................
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Hill Eyes Cable Competition: Program Access, Digital TVHearings Set
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DC - Looks like it's going to be a long fall session for cable on Capitol Hill as a handful of House and Senate committees vie to take pot shots at the state of video competition and related issues. The House Judiciary committee plans to hold a hearing on Sept 20 to discuss program access issues. That follows a hearing Rep Billy Tauzin (R-LA) and the House Telecom subcommittee held in July on the same topic. NCTA pres/CEO Decker Anstrom and Ameritech New Media [AIT] pres Deb Lenart, who both testified in July, will address Judiciary chmn Hyde's committee. Lenart, who asked Tauzin in July to put "some meat on the bones" of program access rules, will likely ask Congress to draft laws forcing the FCC to expedite complaints quicker. Next Wed, as the industry prepares to salute Jim Robbins at the Kaitz dinner, Senate Commerce will hold a hearing on the transition to Digital TV. Participants haven't been announced, but CTAM could send legislators the tape of its "360-degree View of Digital" Orlando panel to help them get to the core of the issue. At CTAM's July conference, panelists Leo Hindery, Kay Koplovitz, Gary Shapiro, Chase Carey, Tom Rogers and Microsoft's [MSFT] Pierre de Viries offered the best insight yet of the digital debate. |
