DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC for DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, LLC

Telecommunications TEC

Anti-Deficiency Act Exemption legislation; E-Rate Program, school Internet access

Contacted: SENATE; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Treasury, Dept of; Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Education EDU

FY09 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations, Enhancing Education Through Technology Program.

Contacted: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Treasury, Dept of; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); State, Dept of (DOS); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

Vietnam's Request for Entry into the Generalized System of Preferences Program as a Beneficiary Developing Country; Trade Adjustment Assistance; US-Korea FTA; US-Colombia FTA; India A La Carte issues; India tax issues/piracy issues; US-India Economic Dialogue; Brazil's proposed new law PL29 (proposed content quotas, foreign ownership restrictions, limits on ad time); US-Russia Economic Dialogue (market access issues); Advisory Committee on International Communications Information Policy; WTO Service Negotiatons; Briefing materials for US-ASEAN Council Business Missions (ASEAN, Vietnam, Thailand); US-ASEAN Business Council - audiovisual policy recommendations provided to ASEAN and USG officials; Providing background to officials about policy concerns/differences between Argentinean and US media landscapes prior to informational visit by official from Argentinean regulatory body considering new media policies; China Services Trade Agenda - made recommendations re agenda for the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce, Trade and Strategic Economic Dialogue; Colombia Advertising Issues.

Contacted: Treasury, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); SENATE; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); State, Dept of (DOS); Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Business Activity Tax Simplification legislation -- S 1726, Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2007; HR 5267, Business Activity Tax Simplification Act of 2007; Section 181 of IRS Code -- HR 3389, To amend the IRS Code of 1986 to make permanent the election to treat the cost of qualified film and television products as expenses which is not chargeable to capital account; S 2375, To amend the IRS Code of 1986 to make permanent the election to treat the costs of qualified film and television products as expenses which is not chargeable to capital account; HR 6049, To Amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual tax relief, and for other purposes; Nonresident Withholding Tax legislation -- HR 3359, The Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2007; Streamlined Sales Tax, HR 3396, The Sales Tax Fairness and Simplification Act.

Contacted: Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); State, Dept of (DOS); Treasury, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); SENATE

Bills named: H.R. 3359 (110th), H.R. 3389 (110th), H.R. 6049 (110th), H.R. 5267 (110th), H.R. 3396 (110th)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

FY09 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations, Enhancing Education Through Technology Program.

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; State, Dept of (DOS); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Treasury, Dept of

Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV COM

S 602, Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007; content proposals; HR 2738, Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007; content restrictions/concerns; a la carte; tiering/programming requirements; HR 6320, a bill to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to emerging Internet Protocol-based communication and video programming technologies in the 21st Century; closed captioning/video description; Various Media Issues - content and advertising restrictions, distribution/carriage issues, restrictions/obligations re programming distribution practices, retail/wholesale a la carte, tiering issues, network management issues, must carry obligations, leased access issues; closed captioning/video description; FCC MB Docket No. 04-261, Viloent Television Programming and its Impact on Children, et al.; content restrictions, a la carte, tiering/programming restrictions; FCC CS Docket No. 98-120, Carriage of Digital Television Broadcast Signals: Amendments to Part 76 of the Commission's Rules; carriage obligations; FCC MB Docket Nos. 07-29, 07-198, Implementation of the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, Development of Competition and Diversity in Video Programming Distribution: Section 628(c)(5) of the Communications Act, Sunset of Exclusive Contract Provision and Review of the Commission's Program Access Rules and Examination of Programming Tying Arrangements; discovery obligations and programming distribution restrictions. FCC MB Docket No. 04-207, A La Carte and Themed Tier Programming Distribution on Cable Television and Direct Broadcast Satellite Systems; FCC MB Docket No. 07-18, Consolidated Application of News Corporation and The DIRECTV Group, Inc., Transferors, and Liberty Media Corporation, Transferee, for Authority to Transfer Control; program access/merger conditions. FCC MB Docket No. 06-189, Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Progamming; competition issues; FCC MB Docket No. 07-294, et al., Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services, low-power must carry; FCC MB Docket No. 07-42, Leased Commercial Access, Development of Competition and Diversity in Video Programming Distribution and Carriage, procedural requirements, carriage obligations, and competitive commercial decisions; FCC CG Docket No. 05-231, Closed Captioning of Video Programming Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. Petition for Rulemaking; closed captioning; FCC MB Docket No. 08-90, Sponsorship Identificiation Rules and Embedded Advertising, product placement/integration; FTC Action #228, Project No. P859900, Online Behavorial Advertising: Moving the Discussion Forward to Possible Self-Regulatory principles; self-regulatory principles.

Contacted: Agriculture, Dept of (USDA); Treasury, Dept of; SENATE; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); State, Dept of (DOS)

Bills named: H.R. 2738 (110th), H.R. 6320 (110th)