House Votes to Block Expanded FCC Limits

[goobergunch]

Jul 23, 3:36 PM EDT

By ALAN FRAM
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted Wednesday to prevent federal regulators from letting individual broadcast companies own television stations serving nearly half the national TV market, ignoring the preferences of its own Republican leaders and a Bush administration veto threat.

By a 400-21 vote, lawmakers approved a spending bill with language blocking a Federal Communications Commission decision to let companies own TV stations serving up to 45 percent of the country's viewers. The current ceiling is 35 percent.

Despite GOP control of the White House, Congress and the FCC, the House vote set the stage for what may ultimately be an unraveling of a regulatory policy that the party strongly favors. The fight now moves to the Senate, where several lawmakers of both parties want to include a similar provision in their version of the bill.

Top Republicans are hoping that, with leverage from the threat of a first-ever veto by President Bush, the final House-Senate compromise bill later this year will drop the provision thwarting the FCC.

more...http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MEDIA_OWNERSHIP?SITE=PAPHQ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Well, at least there's good news somewhere.

ON EDIT: Roll No. 422

NAYS
Akin
Hensarling
Pence
Costello
Jones (NC)
Royce
Duncan
McCarthy (NY)
Tancredo
Flake
McInnis
Tauzin
Franks (AZ)
Musgrave
Taylor (MS)
Green (WI)
Oxley
Udall (CO)
Hefley
Paul
Van Hollen

A "nay" vote doesn't necessarily mean support of the FCC rules, just opposition to the overall bill.

NOT VOTING
Berkley
Gephardt
Pryce (OH)
Bishop (UT)
Gutknecht
Sullivan
Emerson
Kennedy (RI)
Walsh
Ferguson
Lewis (GA)
Ford
Norwood

[DEMActivist]

1. I love this - 2 Georgians NOT VOTING!

John Lewis and Charlie Norwood are both Georgians. Where were they?

[goobergunch]

3. They were both in Washington today...

look at this vote from earlier in the day: http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=420

:shrug:

[Kolesar]

2. Credit this to internet activism

We have quite a tool here. We got the message out quickly and collected a broad coalition. Credit this to moveon.org who stepped up the effort.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Thank you, GOOBERGUNCH!

This is one day which really can use some good news.

Love that 400 to 21 vote to bypass the recent FCC rightwing machinations.

This is really good news, should be celebrated. :bounce: :hi:

[Tracer]

5. Isn't This Enough ...

... to override any potential Bush veto?