By Karen Kerrigan-
Unless Congress acts before the end of the year, an important law that protects consumers and businesses will expire – the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR). Its expiration could have a serious negative impact on small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural communities across the country.
Congress has been hard at work to ensure there will be legislation to proceed the 2014 STELAR Reauthorization. However, as part of this process, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) introduced his own iteration of STELAR, the Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019. Unfortunately, his legislation would harm consumers and small businesses and create an imbalance in the video marketplace.
Chairman Nadler’s bill would allow a crucial provision of STELAR – the distant signal license – to expire after just six short months, impacting more than 870,000 satellite customers. These markets are largely in rural areas and represent vulnerable consumers that rely on satellite to access news, sports, and entertainment. Consumers in these markets would be left with only two choices: join only one satellite provider, DISH, or go without certain network television channels. That is not real choice.
By determining a consumer’s eligibility to receive network programming depending upon their service provider, the Chairman’s bill fails to adequately protect consumers and violates the original intent of STELAR to expand service and choice for consumers. In order to preserve consumers access to information and prevent and small businesses from facing even more obstacles to growth, Congress must act swiftly and decisively to pass a simple extension of STELAR and reject any other efforts to alter this important bill.
What’s more, STELAR is not controversial legislation—it passed both chambers of Congress unanimously in 2014 and has broad bipartisan support today. If Congress fails to reauthorize STELAR before December 31, 2019, consumers will wake up on New Year’s Day 2020 without the basic network programming from major broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX—and most will have no idea why.
STELAR is vital to ensuring that small businesses and entrepreneurs operating in rural communities can access the modern television marketplace at fair, reasonable prices. Many of their livelihoods depend upon access. It is critical to the country’s efforts – and the goal of our organization – to spur growth opportunities for existing businesses while building stronger economic conditions in rural and underserved communities. It’s time for Congress to use this opportunity to pass legislation that will protect consumers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs in rural communities across the country.