Lummis Pushes For More Access To Wyo Public TV

Press Release

U.S. Representatives Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., has introduced the "Statewide Public Television Access Act," to enable every DISH Network subscriber in the state to have full access to Wyoming Public Television.

"Currently, DISH Network subscribers in 19 counties across Wyoming do not have access to the unique and quality programming offered by Wyoming Public Television," Lummis said. "Satellite companies are prohibited by federal law to provide Wyoming Public TV to those 19 counties. My bill would remove the legal barriers to bringing state-wide public television to every community in Wyoming."

The federal government plays a big role in determining what television stations customers are allowed to watch. Federal law divides the United States into 210 local market areas. Each local area has its own local television station for the four major networks as well as PBS, and each local area has copyright protection for those networks. Currently, only DISH Network offers local television service in Wyoming, while DirecTV requires a combination of satellite service and digital antennae.

"The idea behind the government's role in telecommunications was to make sure that people in each area had guaranteed access to local news, weather and sports from their own local community. Unfortunately, it has resulted in so-called local boundaries in Wyoming that are simply absurd. Of Wyoming's 23 counties, 16 of them are part of another state's local area. Put another way, over 50 percent of Wyoming's television households do not have access to Wyoming news weather and sports. That simply doesn't make sense."

"As satellite subscribership continues to climb, particularly in rural areas, a growing number of people in Wyoming will be unable to access the state's public television station if this issue is not resolved. Failure to address the issue has put Wyoming Public Television in a difficult situation. Their broadcast license requires them to broadcast emergency notifications to the entire state, but these federal restrictions make it impossible for them to do so."

The bipartisan bill is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, D- Miss., Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., David Price, D-N.C., Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, and Robert Aderholt, R-Ala.

Lummis has also joined U.S. Representative Mike Ross, D- Ark., in introducing the "Television Freedom Act," which will allow everyone in Wyoming the option to view Wyoming based network television.

There are 18 state-wide public television networks nationwide. State-wide networks are charged by their state to serve the entire state, and each of them does so by a series of over-the-air translators. However, the rules governing local broadcasts prevent state-wide networks from meeting their state's mandate with respect to satellite television. In many of the rural areas, like Wyoming, satellite offers an important solution to receiving clear television signals.

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