Sen. Cory Gardner on Friday, vowed to fix the “orphan” counties issue that prevents some residents in La Plata and Montezuma counties from seeing Denver TV broadcasts.
The Federal Communications Commission is getting ready to issue rules that could allow counties to petition for a change in designated market area. Durango and Cortez are in Albuquerque’s designated market area.
“I’m committed to not only continuing this fight but being able to say we’ve won this fight,” Gardner, R-Colo., said in a meeting with local government officials held at La Plata Electric Association headquarters.
Designated market areas, or DMAs, are determined by Nielsen, a New York-based company. Some local residents do receive Denver TV, but it depends on one’s location and TV service.
County Treasurer Allison Morrissey expressed frustration about the lingering issue. “What is the holdup? I mean, we’ve been working on this for 10 years,” she said.
Spina replied that Albuquerque TV stations have a financial interest in keeping La Plata and Montezuma counties in their DMA. The more potential viewers the stations have, the higher rates they can charge for advertisements.
Gardner assured the government officials that he’s working to solve the issue.
“Clearly, this is an issue that is a top concern of mine,” he said. “It’s time to stop having a conversation about what we’re trying to do – and wouldn’t it be nice to have a conversation about what we’ve done.”
Gardner, who was elected to the Senate in November, also heard from about a dozen local business people in a roundtable session before the Denver TV meeting. The discussion ranged widely, but many participants echoed familiar concerns regarding excessive taxation and burdensome regulations.
“This Internal Revenue code is the most absurd document ever created by man,” said Gary Muller, a Durango accountant.
Muller said the tax system should be replaced by a national sales tax that could have lower rates for basics, such as groceries.
Matt Taylor, president of integrated payments for Vantiv, said the payment-processing industry needs room to innovate in areas such as mobile payments without government regulations.
