Time to Let the Sun Set on STELAR

STELAR is past its prime, and it’s time for Congress to allow it to sunset.

Decades ago, Congress gave satellite TV companies considerably discounted copyright licenses that allowed them to better compete with the huge cable entities of the time through the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act. These satellite companies have since grown into billion-dollar companies and, as such, no longer need government subsidies in order to effectively compete.

Today, STELAR is acting as a barrier that hinders competition and free market negotiations for the carriage of local broadcast television content.

As Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist said in a letter on the legislation, “Market forces are the best tool for unleashing innovation and fostering creativity, not government intervention.”

The time has come to allow the free market to play a larger role in the video marketplace.