A La Carte Proposals in Senate

MCCAIN LINKS A LA CARTE TO BROADCAST FLAG
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
TV stations that refuse to allow the a la carte sale of affiliated cable networks would be ineligible to rely on federal regulations designed to protect their broadcast programming from rampant Internet piracy, according to a proposal by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) released Tuesday afternoon. Sen McCain, an active supporter of more a la carte choice for cable and satellite subscribers, is planning to offer his amendment Thursday when the Senate Commerce Committee meets to vote on a sweeping telecommunications bill (S. 2686) sponsored by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). In his original bill (S. 3457), Sen McCain would have stripped TV stations of their federal network-nonduplication protections if they refused to permit their cable networks to be distributed a la carte by cable and satellite companies. Now, Sen McCain wants to withhold so-called broadcast-flag protections as the penalty if TV stations won't give consumers the opportunity to buy programming on a stand-alone basis.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6345781.html?display=Breaking+News

See also --
* DeMint: Shield DBS from Multicast Must-Carry
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) is sponsoring a proposal designed to ensure that a pending Senate telecommunications bill would not require satellite-TV providers to carry more than one digital programming service provided by a local TV station. Sen DeMint is hoping to offer his amendment Thursday when the Senate Commerce Committee meets to vote on a sweeping telecommunications bill (S. 2686) sponsored by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6345782.html?display=Breaking+News