The Senate Education Committee passed Tuesday, November 5, a bill amending article 7 of the Cable Act to allow companies that are wholly foreign-owned to hold pay-TV licenses. The bill (PL 175/01) was drafted by Sen. Ney Suassuna (PMDB, Paraíba), with Sen. Gerson Camata (PMDB, Espírito Santo) as rapporteur. It now goes to the lower house, where it must pass two other committees. This is unlikely to happen in 2002, although it isn?t impossible. Sen. Camata persuaded the committee to include a clause making it compulsory for editorial responsibility and control of content to be exercised by native Brazilians or foreigners naturalized at least ten years previously. This requirement accords with the Constitution.
Audit Court
At the same session of the Education Committee, Sen. Emília Fernandes (PT, Rio Grande do Sul) requested examination by the Social Communication Council of a bill authorizing the National Audit Court to produce a TV channel for cable distribution. The bill was drafted by former senator Francisco Escórcio. The rapporteur, Sen. Antônio Carlos Magalhães (PFL, Bahia), argued for rejection. Each house of Congress already has its own channel, he noted: in his view the activities of the judicial body that monitors government spending can be covered by TV Câmara and TV Senado.
