[mythtv-users] [US] Help stop the broadcast flag, again

Joseph A. Caputo jcaputo1 at comcast.net
Tue Jun 21 02:27:27 UTC 2005


Wendy Seltzer wrote:

> We've heard rumors that the Broadcast Flag that we, EFF, and a 
> coalition of pressure groups have fought so hard against (and beat in 
> the courts) will be sneaked back via an amendment to the giant Senate 
> Appropriations Bill in a sub-committee at 2PM EST on Tuesday 21st. 
> This week is Hollywood's last chance to ram the flag past Congress, 
> and they're working hard to get it under the radar.  As you know, the 
> Broadcast Flag would make it illegal for pcHDTV or Air2PC to keep 
> making or importing HDTV tuner cards in the U.S.
>
> If you're in any of the following states, your Senators are members of 
> the sub-committee. People of Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, 
> Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, 
> Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin - it's up to you!
>
> There's a sample script after the phone list. Remember: be cool, 
> collected and polite. Most of these senators won't know a thing about 
> the flag, until one of them makes it a throwaway amendment tomorrow. 
> Make sure their ears twitch when they hear "broadcast flag" today.
>
> ALABAMA Senator Richard Shelby (202) 224-5744
> ALASKA Senator Ted Stevens (202) 224-3004
> HAWAII Senator Daniel Inouye (202) 224-3934
> IOWA Senator Tom Harkin (202) 224-3254
> KANSAS Senator Sam Brownback (202) 224-6521
> KENTUCKY Senator Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541
> MARYLAND Senator Barbara Mikulski (202) 224-4654
> MISSOURI Senator Christopher Bond (202) 224-5721
> NEW HAMPSHIRE Senator Judd Gregg (202) 224-3324
> NEW MEXICO Senator Pete Domenici (202) 224-6621
> NORTH DAKOTA Senator Byron Dorgan (202) 224-2551
> TEXAS Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (202) 224-5922
> VERMONT Senator Patrick Leahy (202) 224-4242
> WASHINGTON Senator Patty Murray (202) 224-2621
> WISCONSIN Senator Herb Kohl (202) 224-5653
>
> "Hello, Senator _________'s office"
>
> "Hi, I'm a constituent. I'm registering my opposition to the broadcast 
> flag amendment being introduced in the Senate Commerce Justice and 
> Science Appropriations subcommittee mark-up on Tuesday, and in full 
> committee on Thursday."
>
> (*** You can give your own reasons for opposing the flag here. Here's 
> a sample: ***)
>
> "I've been developing my own television-watching technology -- but I 
> won't be able to buy new parts if the Broadcast Flag goes through."
>
> "The Broadcast Flag cripples any device capable of receiving 
> over-the-air digital broadcasts."
>
> "It give Hollywood movie studios a permanent veto over how members of 
> the American public use our televisions."
>
> "It forces American innovators to beg the FCC for permission before 
> adding new features to TV."
>
> "It will prevent fair use of copyrighted works: critical review, and 
> use of material in distance learning"
>
> "This is an important issue which will affect all Americans, and 
> should not be inserted in a large bill, at the last moment, with no 
> debate."
>
> "Please oppose the broadcast flag amendment. My name and address are 
> ___________________."
>
> "Thank you for your time."
>
>
> Thanks!
> --Wendy


Note that that's just the list of senators on the sub-committee -- if it 
gets past that,
then the full committee will vote, consisting of members from the 
following states:

*Alabama
Alaska
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Dakota
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin


Please call your Senator!

-JAC
*


More information about the mythtv-users mailing list