TV ownership rules stall communications bill

Article Abstract:

The House-Senate conference committee for the telecommunications bill is splitting along party lines as Democrats refuse to approve Republican proposals for substantially increasing the number of television stations one company may own. Republicans are also trying to keep a clause that would stop the FCC from changing the rules for defining ownership of television stations. Current laws have loopholes, or 'arbitration rules,' that allow companies to own large stakes in multiple television stations if they use a limited partnership or debt securities to complete the transaction. A company may also own 49% of a station if another, single party holds 51% of the station. In both cases, the companies are not considered owners, a fact that allows them to evade the current national and local limits on station ownership. The FCC plans to tighten the rules, which opponents argue would defeat the looser regulations proposed in the bill before the committee.

Television Broadcasting, Television broadcasting stations, Television broadcasting industry, United States. Congress

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Phone-bill lobbyists wear out welcome

Article Abstract:

A virtual army of former high-ranking politicians turned phone-bill lobbyists are working to influence the debate over the nation's evolving telecommunications laws. However, their words may be falling on deaf ears. This time around, politicians are more concerned with the economics of telecommunications legislation than they are with the question of right or wrong. The battle in question will decide whether the Senate Finance Committee votes to send a bill to the floor that would let long-distance carriers, local telephone companies and cable television providers enter each other's markets. The perspective of each side could be easily anticipated: each side claims support for open competition yet vigorously guards its own territory. If the bill passes, many of the telecom industry's midlevel lobbyists could be out of a job.

Forecasts and trends, Lobbyists

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Sprint's European deal is cleared by the U.S

Article Abstract:

The US Department of Justice approved of a deal that will allow France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom to acquire 20% of Sprint Corp in order for the three companies to form a global telecommunications partnership. The ruling from the Justice Dept removes the most significant legal barrier to the deal and allows the three companies to compete with a similar alliance being developed by AT&T and MCI Communications. AT&T opposed the alliance between Sprint and its European partners, saying that the French and German companies are still preventing other telephone companies from entering their markets. The Justice Dept met these concerns by negotiating a consent decree that requires the companies to follow a number of restrictions until competition is more open in the French and German telephone markets.

Finance, Investments, United States. Department of Justice, Sprint Corp., Deutsche Telekom AG, France Telecom S.A.

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• Abstracts: Kerrey vows to stall telecommunications bill; seeking changes, Senator calls it a contract with corporations

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