Grange: Latest version of STELAR is overreach, would harm consumers

The latest iteration in the STELAR reauthorization process, the Satellite Television Community Protection and Promotion Act of 2019 introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Nadler, is a blatant overreach by Congress and would cause an irrevocable imbalance in the video marketplace. Government should not be able to pick winners and losers in the marketplace. By passing this bill, Congress would virtually eliminate certain players’ ability to compete for certain customers. The eligibility of the distant signal license should be based on whether the consumer can receive an over-the-air signal, not the identity of the customer’s carrier.

 Furthermore, it would harm hundreds of thousands of consumers by removing the channels they legally pay to receive today. This issue disproportionately affects rural consumers, once again placing them on the wrong side of the digital divide. Many rural areas depend on satellite television for news, sports, entertainment and other programming. Consumers deserve to choose a satellite provider they trust, not forced into a system that provides them with no choice. Congress should reject this proposed bill to protect consumers, and preserve free and fair competition in the marketplace.