TRUE Fees Act Update

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WASHINGTON — There has been no movement on the TRUE Fees Act since its introduction, says one cable lobbyist. A House Democratic staffer confirms there has been no hearing or markup on it. But the legislation could get some attention — and even traction — in the next Congress, with Democrats controlling the gavel.

If so, the Republican Senate would be a tougher slog, but perhaps not impossible if President Donald Trump latched onto the issue as a populist punch at the big media companies he calls enemies, and if enough Republicans took that as cover to support it.

The issue of criticizing cable rates has been known to cross party lines, the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) being the most notable example.

John Eggerton
John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.