Both of the congressional commerce committees are devoting time to broadcast matters this week, with three sessions on the schedule in the Senate and a fundamental session being held by a key House subcommittee. The Senate will vote on the nominations of Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Meredith Attwell Baker, look at advertising issues and children’s TV. The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet has an FCC oversight hearing booked.
In chronological order, here’s what the week on the Hill looks like at this point.
* The full Commerce Committee is holding an executive session covering a number of bills and nominations today (7/21/09) at 2:30PM. Among the latter are the nominations to the FCC of Mignon Clyburn and Meredith Attwell Baker.
* Senate Commerce’s Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance Subcommittee is meeting at 10AM 7/22/09 for a potentially wide-ranging session called “Advertising Trends and Consumer Protection.” The subcommittee, not one that normally gets involved in broadcast matters, is chaired by Mark Pryor (D-AR).
* The same day, 7/22/09, at 2:30, the full committee will assemble for a hearing called “Rethinking the Children’s Television Act for a Digital Media Age.”
* A hearing entitled “Oversight Of The Federal Communications Commission” will be held by the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. It starts at 10AM Thursday, 7/23/09. The Subcommittee is chaired by Rick Boucher (D-VA).
