Opening Statement

Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
Markup of H.R. 5036, the “Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act of 2014"
Committee on the Judiciary

Thursday, July 10, 2014, at 10:00 a.m.
2141 Rayburn House Office Building

       H.R. 5036, the “Satellite Television Access Reauthorization Act of 2014,” extends for five years the license authorization provided for in section 119 of the Copyright Act.;

       Section 119, which allows satellite carriers to retransmit distant television broadcast signals to local subscribers, is due to expire December 31, 2014. I support extending this provision for several reasons.

      To begin with, this legislation ensures that consumers who are receiving service under the Section 119 license do not lose service. Section 119 increases access for “unserved households,” meaning those customers who cannot receive an over-the-air signal of a local network.  Accordingly, some consumers may lose access to their broadcast television content if section 119 is not extended.  While there still are questions that need to be answered regarding how many consumers actually would be impacted if Section 119 were allowed to expire, it is important at this point to ensure continued coverage.

       Second, stakeholders should continue to work together to see if consensus can be obtained on other issues regarding the relationship between broadcast television stations and distributors.

      I have long held that content creators should be compensated appropriately for their works.  Negotiations in the free market can often best ensure that artists and content creators are fairly compensated. However, we also need to consider the impact that disputes during retransmission consent negotiations have on consumers. In some cases, we have seen consumers pulled into the middle of such negotiations.  No one should want to see this happen – it’s not good for consumers and it’s not good for the parties involved.

      So, I urge the stakeholders to continue working to reach consensus on how best to address this concern in a fashion that appropriately balances and protects the needs of consumers, rights holders, broadcasters, and the various service providers. We should be able to accomplish these goals in a broadly supported, consensus fashion.

      Finally, all of our efforts in this regard should be guided by two fundamental principles:  protecting consumers and safeguarding competition.

      H.R. 5036 reflects these priorities, which is why I support it.  All of us as consumers benefit from increased competition because it typically facilitates lower prices while also generating more innovation, variety and options.

       Consumers want the flexibility to watch programming on their choice of television sets, phones and tablets no matter where they are. We should also recognize that many consumers very much value local news and sports programming and the need for local channels to deliver community service and emergency information.  Thus, we should continue to consider ways to increase programming options for subscribers to cable or satellite television. 

      I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to continue to work together as we move forward on this legislation.