Bill Would Make Broadcasters ‘First Responders’
LAS VEGAS -- Broadcasters would have “first responder” status in federal disaster areas under a bill Sen. Landrieu (D-La.) said she will introduce this week. The First Response Broadcasters Act of 2007 would give TV and radio stations priority access to fuel, water, food and other supplies in bad storms and earthquakes, Landrieu told the NAB conference here. The bill would keep FEMA from denying journalists access to disaster areas and bar officials from seizing broadcasters’ supplies. Offering no details, Landrieu said “low-level FEMA officials” tried to appropriate Gulf Coast broadcasters’ supplies after hurricane Katrina. The bill has some momentum, with support from influential members of Congress in addition to Landrieu, she said.
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Local govt., not federal officials, would credential reporters in emergencies under the legislation, Landrieu said: “We had FEMA telling reporters they weren’t essential, they had to leave.” That’s unacceptable, she said, noting that broadcasters have a key communications role in emergencies, adding: “If it wouldn’t have been for the broadcasters -- you all in the room -- I'm not sure the story would have gotten out… You were the first responders.”
Landrieu will introduce the bill Thurs., hoping for speedy Senate Homeland Security Committee approval, she told us. A queue of other bills may make quick action a challenge. NAB, RTNDA and 45 state broadcaster groups support the bill, according to Landrieu’s office.
Senate Commerce Committee Vice Chmn. Stevens (R-Alaska) is co-sponsoring. Sens. Lieberman (independent-Conn.) and Collins (R-Me.) may back the bill, Landrieu told us. In the House, Rep. Pickering (R-Miss.) and 2 others will sponsor an “identical companion bill,” said Landrieu.
Meanwhile, an NAB bid to block the Sirius-XM merger got backing from Landrieu, who said she thinks it would be a bum deal for consumers. NAB Pres. David Rehr argued against the satellite radio merger in opening remarks to the conference. (See separate report in this issue.) “This merger will not be approved,” Rehr said: “It is not a merger they seek, it is a government-sponsored monopoly… When has a monopoly ever served the interests of the consumer?”