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Article: GRAMM VOWS TO KILL SATELLITE TV BILL IF LOAN PROGRAM STAYS MARKEY CALLS $1.2B MEASURE NECESSARY
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- November 11, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1999 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Legislation allowing satellite television companies to carry local
TV stations so they can compete better against cable TV companies ran
into a high-stakes game of Washington hardball yesterday.
After the US House overwhelmingly passed the bill Tuesday night,
Senator Phil Gramm, a Texas Republican, vowed to kill it unless House-
Senate conferees drop a $1.25 billion loan program to help satellite
companies such as DirecTV and EchoStar add equipment to distribute
local signals in rural areas.
"I don't take bills hostage unless I'm willing to shoot them,"
said Gramm, chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Committee, echoing comments he made last month about the financial ...