Lawmaker Sees Both Sides of Broadcast Legislation

LAWMAKER SEES BOTH SIDES OF BROADCAST LEGISLATION
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera]
A look at Rep Greg Walden (R-OR). Since only one House Republican opposed the recent increase in broadcast indecency fines, it may be no surprise he voted for the legislation, too. But Rep Walden is the only broadcast license holder in Congress; he owns and operates five small radio stations and knows from experience just how easily the wrong word can slip off the tongue and onto the airwaves. Like many in the broadcasting industry, Rep Walden has complained that indecency rulings by the Federal Communications Commission have been inconsistent. "I recognized that something needed to be done, to have a little bigger hammer for the FCC," Walden said. "So now my concern is they don't overreact at the commission and start issuing fines that just put broadcasters out of business." Noting that many small-market radio stations are worth less than the new maximum fine, Rep Walden had inserted a provision into an earlier version of the legislation that encouraged the FCC to consider market size when levying fines. But the provision didn't make it into the final version signed into law by President Bush. Still, having someone in Congress who can convey those concerns is important to the industry, said Dennis Wharton of the National Association of Broadcasters. "They might not listen to a lobbyist as much as they would somebody who really understands the business as an operator," Wharton said of lawmakers. "He understands the business more than anybody."
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-walden5jul05,1,753358...
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