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Neb. lawmaker wants to return 'free-market' principles to TV programming

A small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers is pushing a bill designed to help parents shield their children from indecent and violent material on television.



Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska) and Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois) have introduced the "Family and Consumer Choice Act." The bill would mandate that cable and satellite TV providers either adhere to decency standards during family-time viewing hours, offer a family package option that provides news and sports, or provide an "a la carte" option for consumers. The a la carte option would allow consumers to pick stations they no longer want to receive and get a refund or credit on their bill.

Representative Fortenberry says the measure would give families greater control over their cable bills.

"Basically this attempts to introduce free-market principles back into television programming," the congressman explains. "And I think it may actually expand the base of consumers who may be interested in purchasing television [programming]," he adds, "because 70 percent of all Americans say there's too much sex and violence on TV -- and this gets at the heart of that, but [it] also allows consumers more choice."

The bill, which Fortenberry acknowledges faces an uphill battle, is also sponsored by Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-Alabama) and Heath Shuler (D-North Carolina). Fortenberry says there is no good reason for Congress to resist the proposal.

"Americans deserve better control over their bills as well as [over] their choice of television content," he states. "[T]his is a measured, reasonable, balanced approach to providing more choice, more marketplace ideas in the television market."

Fortenberry says there is more momentum than ever in favor of cable choice, but cautions "there are very strong forces at work against" the measure.

FCC chairman touts cable choice bill

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is promoting legislation he says would give Americans greater control over their cable television bills and content.



Yesterday, Representatives Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois) and Jeff Forte berry (R-Nebraska) held a press conference to introduce the "Family and Consumer Choice Act." The bill would mandate that cable and satellite TV providers either adhere to decency standards during family-time viewing hours, offer a family package option that provides news and sports, or provide an "a la carte" option for consumers. The a la carte option would allow consumers to pick stations they no longer want to receive and get a refund or credit on their bill.

FCC chairman Kevin Martin told reporters the bill is very "modest" in that it provides multiple options for cable operators.

"The cable operators say that the consumers all want the current packages. If the consumers all want the current packages, then no one would take any of these options -- and [cable operators] would be able to continue to sell the current packages today," he said.

"So if consumers don't really want to do something different," the FCC chairman concludes, "then none of these options would be attractive and they wouldn't take any of them."

Martin says since his arrival at the FCC, he has been urging the industry to provide parents with the tools to choose the kind of programs they want to enter their home.