Message to the Senate Transmitting the 1985 Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations (Geneva, 1979), signed on behalf of the United States at Geneva on September 15, 1985, and the United States reservation and statements as contained in the Final Protocol. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the 1985 Partial Revision.

The 1985 Revision constitutes a partial revision of the Radio Regulations (Geneva, 1979), to which the United States is a party. The primary purpose of the revision is to incorporate into the Radio Regulations the decisions of the Regional Administrative Radio Conference for the Planning of the Broadcasting-Satellite Service in Region 2 (essentially the Western Hemisphere). The Broadcasting-Satellite Service is a radiocommunication service in which signals transmitted or retransmitted by satellites are intended for direct reception by the general public. The Partial Revision is broadly consistent with the proposals of and positions taken by the United States at the First Session of the World Administrative Radio Conference on the use of the Geostationary-Satellite Orbit and the Planning of Space Services Utilizing It (ORB - 85).

At the time of signature, the United States submitted a reservation concerning technical matters included in the Revision; a statement in response to statements by Indonesia, Colombia, and Ecuador concerning claims of sovereign rights of segments of the geostationary-satellite orbit; and a statement in response to Cuba's characterization of Radio Marti as "the use . . . by the Government of the United States, of the radio spectrum as a means of aggression . . ." The specific reservation and statements, with reasons, are given in the report of the Department of State.

The 1985 Partial Revision of the Radio Regulations entered into force on October 30, 1986, for governments which, by that date, had notified the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union of their approval thereof.

I believe the United States should become a party to the Partial Revision, which will facilitate the development of a broadcasting-satellite service in the United States. It is my hope that the Senate will take early action on this matter and give its advice and consent to ratification.

George Bush

The White House,

April 2, 1992.