Night of the Living Broadcast Flag

Night of the Living Broadcast Flag: "This is really getting ridiculous! We beat the broadcast flag in Federal Court, we beat it in the Appropriations Committee, but the MPAA is giving it another try. This time, they're allying with the RIAA and asking for more: not just a flag for digital broadcast television, but even broader FCC power in the name of 'protecting' digital radio, to boot!

This new legislation to give the FCC the power to adopt the broadcast flag will likely be attached to the digital television (DTV) bill. The Commerce Committee is where all of this will go down in the Senate. Any Senate flag language would be attached to a DTV policy bill, and likely be done behind closed doors: without so much as a public hearing or debate. Similar language could be made as an amendment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's version of the DTV bill. That's why voicing your opinion now with your Representative and Senators is vital.

You know the drill. Call your congressmembers and let them know what you think about the broadcast flag. This is especially important for those of you who have a member on the appropriate committee (see the list below). If you don't have a member on either of the committees, your call should go to the chairmen and ranking members. We've included some talking points at the end of this e-mail to help you out."