ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 TAG: 9512130049
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Bloomberg Business News
House and Senate negotiators on landmark telecommunications overhaul legislation on Tuesday agreed ``in principle'' to deregulate cable TV prices about three years after passage of the bill, but wrapped up their meeting without pinning down details.
``Nothing is final until the final report is voted on,'' said Commerce Committee Chairman Thomas J. Bliley, R-Richmond, as Rep. Patricia Schroeder, D-Colo., and others complained they had not been consulted about what the bill's final language would say.
The process of crafting a final bill has been ``like a bag of smoke,'' Schroeder said.
The House and Senate lawmakers, in their third meeting to iron out differences in the sweeping legislation, also agreed to give broadcasters flexibility in their use of new digital airwaves, but for a fee. That could give broadcasters a partial victory in their effort to gain freedom from regulations as they make the transition to the new digital technology. But broadcasters oppose being forced into a multibillion-dollar auction to get access to airwaves that they now get for free.
The House-Senate conferees also agreed, in principle, to do away with prohibitions on local phone companies providing video services.
The agreements, if they stand, represent some progress toward completing work on some of the bill's most contentious issues. Conference leaders who had promised to finish drafting the bill this week voiced frustration with the pace of the talks.
The bill, rewriting 1934 U.S. communications law, would allow regional phone companies to enter the $70 billion a year long-distance market and AT&T Corp. and other long-distance companies to offer local phone and cable-television services.
The measure also will let media companies control TV and radio stations reaching more U.S. homes.
LENGTH: Short : 44 linesby CNB