The Senate Commerce Committee is holding a markup session on Thursday morning at 10AM, and both radio and television broadcasters have reason to pay some attention. On the agenda is a bill involving LPFMs, and another on satellite services.
On the radio side is S. 592, The Local Community Radio Act of 2009, the bill which would allow the FCC to start locating low power FMs on third adjacent channels to incumbent full power stations. It is hoped by LPFM activists that this will finally make it possible to introduce the service to already-packed urban FM dials.
On the television side, S. 2764, Satellite TV Extension and Localism Act (the latest name for what has come to be known as SHVERA) is up for discussion, final modification and referral to the full Senate. Legislators in both houses have been treating this as a must-do reauthorization and leaders have been pushing to simply get it done by avoiding certain bones of contention.
Also teed up for action are three other bills, S. 850, Shark Conservation Act of 2009, S. 1224, Chesapeake Bay Science, Education, and Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2009, and S. 2768, NTSB Reauthorization Act of 2009.
