When the 110th Congress convenes in January under control of the Democrats, Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) will seek the chairmanship of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet on the Energy and Commerce Committee, according to his office.
Markey served as the subcommittee’s chairman from 1987 to 1995 and has authored and co-authored several key pieces of legislation impacting the broadcast industry including the Cable Act of 1992 and the V-chip legislation that helps parents control what their children watch.
As a member of the subcommittee under Republican control, Markey has advocated the reinforcement of strong rules to assure “net neutrality” and promote competition among broadband Internet service providers.
Following the Democrats’ electoral success in November, Markey co-wrote a letter with other Democrats to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration asking the agency to institute a more generous digital-to-analog converter box coupon program than the one it is considering. The letter urged the agency to open the program to over-the-air televisions in use as second or third sets in cable and satellite households.
