WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing October 23 that explored whether to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), which is set to expire at the end of 2019. Notably during the hearing, Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) probed the witness panel on DIRECTV’s current practices using the distant signal license instead of providing customers with local signals in twelve markets across the country, including in those Senators’ home states. In response to this hearing and the issue at hand, Jack Alexander from Belgrade, MT and current, President of the Rural & Agriculture Council of America issued the following statement:
“We applaud Senators Tester and Fischer for raising the needs of U.S. consumers as a point deserving attention within this debate; the priority of pay television companies should remain focused on how they can best serve all their customers, by providing critical local broadcast stations. Senators Tester and Fischer demonstrated that they fully understand how much rural Americans rely on the crucial information and news that local broadcasters provide, and made clear that DIRECTV must stop neglecting rural consumers. The time has come for STELAR’s harm to rural viewers to end.”
“As an organization that represents the interests of the rural and agricultural community, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that all rural Americans receive the news and information that helps them do their jobs and participate in their communities, and at times even protects their lives. We thank Senators Fischer and Tester for their show of support for these same principles and their commitment to continue fighting for the rural base within our country which must be heard on this particular matter.”
Watch the full hearing: https://mailchi.mp/c968d4240c30/raca-statement-on-stelar-hearing?e=bc54e505a3
–Rural & Agriculture Council of America