Copyright and telecommunications

Representative William J. Hughes introduced a hearing to examine the Satellite Home Viewer Act of 1988 and issues arising from it. Discussion was presented on a recent Federal Communications Commission report on price discrimination, the definition of network, and the effectiveness of the "white area" amendment that permits the transmission of network signals to areas of the country, often rural, that do not receive signals through the air. Whether wireless cable falls outside the definition of cable television for purposes of the cable compulsory license was discussed, as was the concept of retransmission consent and its relationship to copyright. Testimony was received from the following witnesses: (1) Preston R. Padden, of Fox Broadcasting Company; (2) Andrew R. Paul, of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association of America; (3) Bob Phillips, of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative; (4) Robert L. Schmidt, of the Wireless Cable Association; (5) Dorothy Schrader, Associate Register of Copyrights for Legal Affairs; and (6) Jeffrey C. Treeman, of United Video. Letters and statements submitted for the hearing are included, and an appendix contains additional letters pertaining to the hearing. (SLD)