Congress Wants to Stop Amber Alerts On Satellite Radio

You have to wonder about the wisdom of this. What logic could there be behind forcing the FCC to limit “local” broadcasting to radio stations and not allowing satellite to transmit any local information? Part of the logic is no doubt that Charles Pickering has received $48,000 in contributions from the National Association of Broadcasters since then.

It’s a bit ridiculous, but it seems that the radio industry has found some sympathetic ears and the end result is that we all lose. All except for the radio folks, of course, who now can monopolize local content for no real reason.

The ridiculous text from Gene Green’s site:

Washington, DC – Two Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Representatives Chip Pickering (R-MS) and Gene Green (D-TX), today introduced legislation aimed at protecting local radio broadcasting and more strictly enforcing the licenses of satellite radio companies.

The “Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act,” would clarify that Digital Audio Satellite Radio licensees could not circumvent their obligation to provide national audio programming by inserting local content into their network of ground based repeaters.

“The Federal Communications Commission licensed satellite radio to be a national only radio service,” said Green. “This bill will enforce the Commission’s original intent.”

So no emergency information for satellite radio. Customers cannot get information that could help them in the event of an emergency if your local radio towers are destroyed (think tornado, or better yet, think Red Cross Radio back in New Orleans, as Orbitcast correctly notes).

My advice to the satellite companies? Tell these two dolts to go screw and keep broadcasting whatever the hell you want. The FCC has no jurisdiction over Satellite anyway. Any Representatives who think that stopping emergency news notifications to the public is a good thing probably aren’t fit to serve, especially when one of them is most likely in the pocket of the radio industry anyway.

I notice that there’s no such regulation for companies like Clear Channel who run one central station from some shack in Kansas to the rest of the country. I guess “local radio” just means that it comes out of some local set of call letters, not that the broadcast is actually local.

[tags]satellite radio, xm, sirius, gene green, chip pickering, bullshit[/tags]

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  • Chris

    I’ve written the following letter to my representative as well as Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce where the bill is currently sitting. Feel free to copy and paste the letter and use it to send to your representative.

    –

    I am writing regarding H.R. 983, The Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act of 2007, as introduced by Rep. Chip Pickering of Mississippi, and Rep. Gene Green of Texas. I strongly oppose this legislation.

    This bill would prevent satellite radio from transmitting these local services – including public safety/emergency information.

    A great example of the benefits of satellite radio in an emergency situation was during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath when XM and the Red Cross both setup Red Cross Radio. This allowed relief workers, shelters and aid stations to receive vital information during a time when local terrestrial radio was knocked out of service. I would think that Rep. Pickering would praise this service rather than oppose this service, seeing that he serves constituents from Mississippi that were directly affected by this major emergency and could not receive emergency information from local radio.

    In my opinion, this bill represents the influence of big business, rather than a service to the public. Rep. Pickering, since 1989 has received $ 48,500 from the National Association of Broadcasters, and $ 46,498 from the National Cable & Telecommunication Association, in addition to being sent on a trip to Vail, CO in August of 2005, paid by the Telecommunications Industry Association. In addition, Rep. Green, the bill’s primary co-sponsor since 1989 has received $95,500 from the Communications Workers of America, and was sent on trips to Las Vegas in April of 2005 and April of 2003 paid by the National Association of Broadcasters.

    I believe that the American people spoke with a loud voice in the last election, and would be mortified that this legislation really has nothing to do with public service, but is payback for receiving campaign contributions from big business contributors.

    This particular bill was introduced three times in the past, with all three efforts ending in failure. It is time the issue should be dropped, and Congress should worry about bigger and much more important issues such as healthcare, education, and the war on terror.

    I appreciate your time and your vote against H.R. 983.

  • Chris

    I’ve written the following letter to my representative as well as Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce where the bill is currently sitting. Feel free to copy and paste the letter and use it to send to your representative.

    –

    I am writing regarding H.R. 983, The Local Emergency Radio Service Preservation Act of 2007, as introduced by Rep. Chip Pickering of Mississippi, and Rep. Gene Green of Texas. I strongly oppose this legislation.

    This bill would prevent satellite radio from transmitting these local services – including public safety/emergency information.

    A great example of the benefits of satellite radio in an emergency situation was during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath when XM and the Red Cross both setup Red Cross Radio. This allowed relief workers, shelters and aid stations to receive vital information during a time when local terrestrial radio was knocked out of service. I would think that Rep. Pickering would praise this service rather than oppose this service, seeing that he serves constituents from Mississippi that were directly affected by this major emergency and could not receive emergency information from local radio.

    In my opinion, this bill represents the influence of big business, rather than a service to the public. Rep. Pickering, since 1989 has received $ 48,500 from the National Association of Broadcasters, and $ 46,498 from the National Cable & Telecommunication Association, in addition to being sent on a trip to Vail, CO in August of 2005, paid by the Telecommunications Industry Association. In addition, Rep. Green, the bill’s primary co-sponsor since 1989 has received $95,500 from the Communications Workers of America, and was sent on trips to Las Vegas in April of 2005 and April of 2003 paid by the National Association of Broadcasters.

    I believe that the American people spoke with a loud voice in the last election, and would be mortified that this legislation really has nothing to do with public service, but is payback for receiving campaign contributions from big business contributors.

    This particular bill was introduced three times in the past, with all three efforts ending in failure. It is time the issue should be dropped, and Congress should worry about bigger and much more important issues such as healthcare, education, and the war on terror.

    I appreciate your time and your vote against H.R. 983.