Durango, CO – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet is encouraging Four Corners residents to submit their opinions on allowing Southwest Coloradans to receive television coverage from their own state to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Media Bureau.
The comments, which are due January 24th, will be used by the FCC to help formulate a report to Congress on communities’ ability to receive in-state broadcasts. The report was required by Congress in the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010, a new law supported by Bennet.
“It only makes sense that people who live in Colorado, in this case Montezuma and La Plata counties, have access to news and sports programming from their own state,” said Bennet, who introduced a bill last Congress to allow Southwest Colorado to receive Colorado broadcasts. “I encourage residents and elected officials of southwest Colorado who have been waiting for too long to see this issue resolved to make their voices heard by submitting their comments to the FCC before the comment period ends next week. I also intend to introduce a bill again this Congress to fix this problem so that we can move forward on this issue on all fronts.”
Four Corners residents can submit comments electronically on the commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/ by clicking on the link to Submit a Filing, then entering “10-238” in the box for proceeding number. Residents can also use the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by clicking on Submit a Comment. Enter “In state broadcast 10-238” as the keyword and you will be taken to a page to submit a comment.
Comments may be submitted on paper and sent to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. An original and four copies can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building.
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554.
Residents with disabilities can request materials in accessible formats (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format) by sending an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
For more information on the Four Corners Television Access Act that Bennet introduced last Congress, please click here.