Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003
Latest action · Sep 16, 2003 Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11505)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 13, 2003
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003 - (Sec. 3) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from permitting any license for a commercial television broadcast station to be granted, transferred, or assigned to any party if such action would result in that party owning, operating, controlling, or having a cognizable interest in stations which have an aggregate national audience reach exceeding 35 percent. Requires any party currently having licenses in excess of such limit to divest as necessary to comply with such limit within one year.
(Sec. 4) Prohibits any party, after one year after the enactment of this Act, from exceeding the caps on local radio ownership established by the FCC in its media ownership proceeding.
(Sec. 5) Amends the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to require the FCC: (1) to biennially review its broadcast media ownership rules (current law) and to change, repeal, or retain such rules, as appropriate; and (2) before changing, repealing, or retaining a rule, to hold at least five public hearings in different areas of the United States.
(Sec. 7) Declares null and void the cross-media limits rule adopted by the FCC on June 2, 2003. Reinstates the previous rules pertaining to broadcast-newspaper and radio-television cross-ownership, to be applied retroactively to such date.
Allows the public utility commission of a State of a small (rural) market with a Designated Market Area of 150 or higher to recommend, on a case-by-case basis, that the FCC grant a waiver of its cross-ownership rules if the public utility commission finds that the proposed transaction for which the waiver is required will enhance local news and information, promote the financial stability of a newspaper, radio station, or television station, or otherwise promote the public interest. Authorizes the FCC to approve such recommendation within 60 days unless there is compelling evidence that the related transaction would be contrary to the public interest.
Cosponsors 47
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 13, 2003 to Sep 5, 2003; 5 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-ND | Byron L. Dorgan | Original | May 13, 2003 |
| R-MT | Conrad R. Burns | Original | May 13, 2003 |
| D-SC | Ernest F. Hollings | Original | May 13, 2003 |
| D-OR | Ron Wyden | Original | May 13, 2003 |
| R-MS | Trent Lott | Original | May 13, 2003 |
| D-WI | Russell D. Feingold | May 14, 2003 | |
| R-CO | Wayne Allard | May 14, 2003 | |
| D-AR | Blanche L. Lincoln | May 19, 2003 | |
| D-HI | Daniel K. Akaka | May 19, 2003 | |
| D-SD | Tim Johnson | May 21, 2003 | |
| R-NC | Elizabeth Dole | May 22, 2003 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Boxer | May 23, 2003 | |
| D-HI | Daniel K. Inouye | May 23, 2003 | |
| D-AR | Mark L. Pryor | Jun 2, 2003 | |
| D-CT | Christopher J. Dodd | Jun 3, 2003 |
Withdrew 2 Harry Reid D-NV Jul 16, 2003·Jim Bunning R-KY Jul 29, 2003
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred May 13, 2003Markup Jun 19, 2003Reported Sep 3, 2003 |
Actions 6
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 16, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11505)
- Sep 3, 2003Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator McCain with an amendment. With written report No. 108-141. Additional views filed.
- Sep 3, 2003Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 270.
- Jun 19, 2003Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- May 13, 2003Introduced in Senate
- May 13, 2003Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6082-6083)
In the Congressional Record 4
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S86 | John McCain R-AZ | Jan 21, 2004 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S11505, S11507, S11517, S11518 | Byron L. Dorgan D-ND, John McCain R-AZ, Ted Stevens R-AK | Sep 16, 2003 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S11385 | John McCain R-AZ | Sep 11, 2003 |
| Senate | Text printed S6082 | Ted Stevens R-AK (text) | May 13, 2003 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 2
- Jul 25, 2003S. 1046, Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on June 19, 2003</p>
- Jul 25, 2003S. 1046, Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on June 19, 2003
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2052 | Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003 | Identical bill | May 20, 2003 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve localism, to foster and promote the diversity of television programming, to foster and promote competition, and to prevent excessive concentration of ownership of the nation's television broadcast stations.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act of 2003
- Popular Titles
- FCC Media Ownership bill
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
- Administrative procedure
- Commerce
- Competition
- Corporate divestiture
- Economic concentration
- Federal Communications Commission
- Government Operations and Politics
- Independent regulatory commissions
- Law
- Licenses
- Newspapers
- Public meetings
- Radio stations
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Television broadcasting
- Television frequency allocation
- Television industry
- Television stations
Text 2
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 3, 2003Reported to Senate
- May 13, 2003Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.