Here’s a letter from the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA) to the Senate Commerce Committee supporting NAB’s response to questions by the Committee regarding the reauthorization of STELA. In the letter, NASBA urged the Committee to “resist efforts from pay-TV entities looking to upset the free market negotiations that help provide the important programming our stations offer.”
Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:
As members of the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA), we write to endorse a recent letter submitted by National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) President and CEO Gordon Smith on key policy questions, both related and unrelated, to the expiration of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA). As indicated in the attached, local broadcasters fully support the expansion of local broadcast signals as opposed to distant signals, thus questioning the importance of the Section 119 license.
Should Congress deem it important to reauthorize this legislation, it is imperative this process be completed without upsetting the current marketplace as it relates to the relationship with pay-TV providers and local broadcasters. Recent press reports have targeted the STELA reauthorization as a vehicle to amend both the Communications Act as well as the Cable Act. We would respectfully oppose those efforts.
As you embark on this complicated process, we encourage you to utilize us to create public policy that promotes localism and competition. We also encourage you to resist efforts from pay-TV entities looking to upset the free market negotiations that help provide the important programming our stations offer.
Sincerely,
| Alabama Broadcasters Association Sharon Tinsley | Alaska Broadcasters Association Cathy Hiebert | Arizona Broadcasters Association Art Brooks |
| Arkansas Broadcasters Association Doug Krile | California Broadcasters Association Stan Statham | Colorado Broadcasters Association Justin Sasso |
| Connecticut Broadcasters AssociationMichael Patrick Ryan | Florida Association of Broadcasters C. Patrick Roberts | Georgia Association of Broadcasters Bob Houghton |
| Hawaii Association of BroadcastersJamie Hartnett | Idaho State Broadcasters Association Connie Searles | Illinois Broadcasters Association Dennis Lyle |
| Indiana Broadcasters Association Joe Misiewicz | Iowa Broadcasters Association Sue Toma | Kansas Association of Broadcasters Kent Cornish |
| Kentucky Broadcasters Association Gary White | Louisiana Association of Broadcasters Polly Prince Johnson | Maine Association of BroadcastersSuzanne Goucher |
| Maryland/D.C./Delaware (MDCD) Broadcasters Association Lisa Reynolds | Massachusetts Broadcasters Association Jordan Walton | Michigan Association of Broadcasters Karole L. White |
| Minnesota Broadcasters Association Jim du Bois | Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Jackie Lett | Missouri Broadcasters Association Mark Gordon |
| Montana Broadcasters Association Dewey Bruce | Nebraska Broadcasters Association Marty Riemenschneider | Nevada Broadcasters Association Robert Fisher | ||||||||
| New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters Jordan Walton | ||||||||||
| New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters Jordan Walton | New Jersey Broadcasters Association Paul Rotella | New Mexico Broadcasters Association Paula Maes | ||||||||
| New York State Broadcasters Association David Donovan | ||||||||||
| North Carolina Association of Broadcasters Wade Hargrove, Esq. | North Dakota Broadcasters AssociationBeth Helfrich | |||||||||
| Ohio Association of BroadcastersChris Merritt | Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Vance Harrison | Oregon Association of BroadcastersBill Johnstone |
| Pennsylvania Association of BroadcastersRich Wyckoff | Radio Broadcasters Association of Puerto RicoJose A. Ribas Dominicci | Rhode Island Broadcasters AssociationLori Needham | |
| South Carolina Broadcasters AssociationShani White | |||
| South Carolina Broadcasters AssociationShani White | South Dakota Broadcasters Association Steve Willard | Tennessee Association of BroadcastersWhit Adamson |
| Texas Association of Broadcasters Oscar Rodriguez | Utah Broadcasters AssociationMichele Zabriskie | Vermont Association of Broadcasters Jim Condon |
| Virginia Association of Broadcasters Doug Easter | Washington State Association of Broadcasters Mark Allen | West Virginia Broadcasters Association Michele Crist |
| Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Michelle Vetterkind | Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Laura Grott |
