"We applaud the bipartisan leadership of Chairmen Upton and Walden and Ranking Members Waxman and Eshoo for their efforts to secure House approval of the must-pass STELA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4572). The legislation extends expiring provisions related to retransmission of broadcast TV signals and accomplishes modest reforms of our video laws that will yield significant consumer benefits.
"By eliminating the FCC's Integration Ban, the legislation removes an unnecessary technology mandate that imposes higher costs and energy use on cable customers who lease set-top boxes while offering no benefits. The legislation also appropriately protects consumers from anticompetitive harm by preventing separately owned broadcast stations in local markets from jointly coordinating or participating in negotiations for retransmission consent.
"We look forward to working with the Senate after the August recess to act on this important legislation."