National Religious Broadcasters President Frank Wright sent letters to Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) Monday telling them their Next Generation Television Marketplace Act could be "fatal" to religious broadcasters.
The legislators introduced Senate and House versions of that deregulatory chain saw last fall, aimed at clearing out "decades-old" regs they argue represent the government inappropriately picking winners and losers in the marketplace.
The bill would scrap the must-carry mandate, repeal retransmission consent provisions and compulsory licenses, and get rid of ownership rules.
It is extremely unlikely to pass, but that did not stop Wright from warning its sponsors that getting rid of must-carry rules "may harm the ability of millions of Americans to continue accessing the religious programming on which they rely."
