Religious Broadcasters Take Lead On Key Digital Television Issue

Broadcasters continue to press for a requirement that cable operators be required to carry digital "multicasts"­ and an association of religious broadcasters is playing a leading role. But the window of opportunity may be closing, said National Religious Broadcasters chief Frank Wright, who is leading a group of 18 socially conservative organizations in a last-ditch effort to appeal to their core, largely Republican base. Meanwhile, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) has drafted must-carry legislation -- conditioned upon broadcasters' meeting specific "public interest" obligations -- but he did not offer the bill during committee consideration of the bill last week. Broadcasters have not endorsed Rep Markey's proposal, which would have granted must-carry language only if companies offered six hours a day of "enhanced community programming." The proposal would define such programming as that which "supplies citizens in a local television market with information of relevance to that local community, including local news and public affairs programming," as well as children's shows.
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