113 S2799 IS: Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act
U.S. Senate
2014-09-11
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EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.This Act may be cited as the Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act.2.References to Communications Act of 1934Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever in this Act an
amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal
of, a section or other provision, the reference shall be
considered to be made to a section or other provision of the
Communications
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.).<enum>I</enum><header>Satellite television</header><section id="idE79618CE57CB4F37ADC3D532C6294C0D"><enum>101.</enum><header>Extension of authority</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 325(b) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="idB9CDA65F048F433FBA4164A74AA5FDDB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in paragraph (2)(C), by striking <quote>December 31, 2014</quote> and inserting <quote>December 31, 2019</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9894679C4438412592098F522961956A"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in paragraph (3)(C), by striking <quote>January 1, 2015</quote> each place it appears and inserting <quote>January 1, 2020</quote>.</text></paragraph></section><section id="idDC67BF208D7240DB8E178F7D6847D6FB"><enum>102.</enum><header>Modification of television markets to further consumer access to relevant television programming</header><subsection id="idA070F96878764B94BD240D60D71C774F"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 338 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/338">47 U.S.C. 338</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="id6DAF60A645D24446A2CE995841F8141E"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (k)—</text><subparagraph id="id4E27DA1A5B8F4E6BAB0295299F427963"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (10) as paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idBE3764DAB8A4414E9929292BAE954129"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idD6091F81C2604E87BC8A7F8303E687C7" style="OLC"><paragraph id="id3B3E1A1DD3BD4655BBF75386EABD7F67"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Designated market area</header><text>The term <term>designated market area</term> means a designated market area as determined by Nielsen Media Research or by any successor system
of assigning television broadcast stations to local markets adopted by the
Commission.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id4B94244FEE794C2CBF8F5FB1CB72DCA8"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by amending paragraph (5), as redesignated, to read as follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idD415625BC63045B1A405D4AC4B2AF414" style="OLC"><paragraph id="id3439258E52354E229C63AE693A1C2F94"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Local market</header><text>The term <term>local market</term>, in the case of both commercial and noncommercial television broadcast stations, means the
designated market area in which a television broadcast station is located.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idA45563842CBC4F2BA442828D98898BB4"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id752975D9104B43B3A97102FFF0BDE2BC" style="OLC"><subsection id="id6C3991A73A0A402DA11ACB234E74503A"><enum>(l)</enum><header>Market determinations</header><paragraph id="id5A3228C1ECB945F785662C6A16C05737"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Following a written request, the Commission may, with respect to a particular television
broadcast
station, include additional communities within its local market or exclude
communities from such station’s local market to better effectuate the
purposes of this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id93BBBC37926D43A296A61D013BA3760C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Considerations</header><text>In considering requests filed under paragraph (1), the
Commission—</text><subparagraph id="id579BDDA3479C4576A323223A8B755B4D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>may determine that particular communities are part
of more than one local market; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idFCDE7DFE46884A49B1CCEF2398D1EB4B"><enum>(B)</enum><text>shall afford particular
attention to the value of localism, including promoting a consumer's
access to
television signals that originate in the consumer's State of residence, by
taking
into account such factors as—</text><clause id="id749C287A081A434C900F8B49B4BDE15B"><enum>(i)</enum><text>whether the station, or other stations located in the same area—</text><subclause id="idCFDDCD03E7F5446EA3F50970BB0B8896"><enum>(I)</enum><text>have been historically carried on
the cable system or systems within such community; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id26235675765A431BBB11D68033205177"><enum>(II)</enum><text>have been historically carried on the satellite carrier or
carriers serving such community;</text></subclause></clause><clause id="id1FA7A065817E4675BB5CEC9126B6CB2E"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>whether the television station provides coverage or other local service to such community;</text></clause><clause id="idDF69AC9C0F0943BDA579E4D41A22CD9B"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>whether any other television station that is eligible to be carried by a satellite carrier in such
community in fulfillment of the requirements of this section provides
news
coverage of issues of concern to such community or provides carriage or
coverage of sporting and other events of interest to the community; and</text></clause><clause id="id71DE8C7C7B6F4CBAA3CE097490BDA6D6"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>evidence of viewing patterns in households that subscribe and do not subscribe to the services
offered by multichannel video programming distributors within the areas
served by such
multichannel video programming distributors in such community.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id76DB2AA1AE9A41C0A041D352728E8544"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Carriage of signals</header><text>A satellite carrier shall not delete from carriage the signal of a commercial television station
during the pendency of any proceeding under this subsection.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id63DA0F0821D24FD2AA2F63AD9A6A641D"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Determinations</header><text>Not later than 120 days after the date that a written request is filed under paragraph (1), the
Commission shall grant or deny the request.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idA65E4D5E008D47EFBFAC8A7A2491A5D8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Conforming amendments</header><text>Section 614(h)(1)(C) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/534">47 U.S.C. 534(h)(1)(C)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="idA977FC2A1EC44F5FBA19E550CAD5E028"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in clause (ii)—</text><subparagraph id="id11FC88E543C542938EFEFB09A1CC93E0"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking <quote>localism</quote> and inserting <quote>localism, including promoting consumer access to television signals that originate in a consumer's
State of residence,</quote>;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id85022BCE5A0F4F449009D75E3F24EE99"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subclause (II), by striking <quote>community</quote> and inserting <quote>community or on the satellite carrier or carriers serving such community</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idE3EED8729AB54C6CA32876902E8A41E6"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by amending subclause (IV) to read as follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2DF5ECD0C2CC4B13870115DED34752EF" style="OLC"><subclause id="id5267468927B2422B90878D7568938B0C"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>evidence of viewing patterns in households that subscribe and do not subscribe to the services
offered by multichannel video programming distributors within the areas
served by such
multichannel video programming distributors in such community.</text></subclause><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id695C352282B34F1F9CD01BDC522CF8EE"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by moving the margin of clause (iv) 4 ems to the left.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id95E264AC894F49A29A933E4FCF0CEAB5"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Implementation</header><text>As part of the rulemaking to implement the amendments made by this section, the Federal
Communications Commission shall ensure that procedures for the filing
and consideration of a written request under sections 338(l) and
614(h)(1)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/338">47 U.S.C. 338</external-xref>, 534) fully
effectuate the purposes of the amendments made by this section. As part
of that process, the Federal Communications Commission shall update what
it considers to be a community for purposes of a modification of a market
under section 338(l) or 614(h)(1)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 338, 534).</text></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Video policy reforms</header><section id="idAB338756B23245EA95BA7A6262F94C34"><enum>201.</enum><header>Consumer protections in retransmission consent</header><subsection id="id216A282E04A84B5881A825BD7C8ED2FA"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Joint retransmission consent negotiations</header><text>Section 325(b)(3)(C) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="idF29ABAA4F6A44E669DE587B6D80AE2D6"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in clause (ii), by striking <quote>and</quote> at the end;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id7F74D093F8114287801A53096B413ACD"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idE29450F303E4401CBBF6BA2604475138"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block act-name="" id="id05FC15D45FD74B6483094A8BC5AEF5BB" style="OLC"><clause id="id01768648A98F47DCA5294FC558CDF233"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>prohibit a television broadcast station from coordinating negotiations or negotiating on a joint
basis with another television broadcast station to grant retransmission
consent under this section to a multichannel video programming
distributor, unless such stations are directly or indirectly under common
de jure control permitted by the Federal Communications Commission;</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id9528C353E4FC4A09A26A72EE3C8BAF9B"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Protections for significantly viewed and other television signals</header><text>Section 325(b)(3)(C) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)</external-xref>), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end
the following:</text><quoted-block act-name="" id="id757AD5FDDEFF402E9B51AE9EE697FDAB" style="OLC"><clause id="id06538A20D81B4F5A967A658A5C117614"><enum>(v)</enum><text>prohibit a television broadcast station from limiting the ability of a multichannel video
programming distributor to carry a television signal that has been deemed
significantly viewed, within the meaning of <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/76">section 76.54</external-xref> of title 47,
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation, or any other
television broadcast signal such distributor is authorized to carry under
section 338 or 614 of this Act, into the local
market of such station, unless such stations are directly or indirectly
under common de jure control permitted by the Commission; and</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id578F2CBB63474D9B8628FD87E8D265A8"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Per se violations</header><text>Section 325(b)(3)(C) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)</external-xref>), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end
the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8AAAEB6BC17C465294646C510D586CD4" style="OLC"><clause id="idA43BB4A25AC842E38E0A1A10060134E9"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>following an expiration of a retransmission consent agreement between a television broadcast
station and a multichannel video programming distributor under this
section, permit the Commission—</text><subclause id="id56A37B4DD33E45E985C0AC382658A6BB"><enum>(I)</enum><text>to request from the parties such information as it deems
necessary to ensure that neither party has committed a per se violation of
its duty to negotiate in good faith under this
paragraph; and</text></subclause><subclause id="idABDF708ED0154D7BA2931AEA4AC16841"><enum>(II)</enum><text>to determine, based on the information collected under
subclause (I) and
in accordance with this Act, that a party to a retransmission consent
negotiation has
committed a per se violation of its duty to negotiate in good faith.</text></subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="idEB8884EAD3FD4B028D38124BE1DADDCA"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Good faith</header><text>Section 325(b)(3) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA469BDCA27D2402E8526888A14EB00F1" style="OLC"><subparagraph id="idA65321D2FA174910B3CC3AC83299BBC5"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Update to good faith rules</header><text>The Commission shall commence a rulemaking to revise the regulations issued pursuant to
subparagraph (C). That rulemaking shall—</text><clause id="idA2A7241A05ED414B81F9928216828990"><enum>(i)</enum><text>consider whether each of the
following constitutes a failure to negotiate in good faith as required by
this paragraph—</text><subclause id="id23BAFFF9A4A2449393DB8712C3E6A3B2"><enum>(I)</enum><text>the blocking of online content owned or controlled by a television broadcast station or a
television network, or the act of soliciting, encouraging, or otherwise
seeking to have another entity block access to online content, during
retransmission consent negotiations or after the
expiration of a retransmission consent agreement; and</text></subclause><subclause id="id76CA9773A3104CA497B7A888C240F14A"><enum>(II)</enum><text>allowing a television network to review and approve the rates, terms, and conditions of a
retransmission consent agreement, or the material terms of such agreement,
for any television broadcast station not wholly owned by such network; and</text></subclause></clause><clause id="idC4C4C866B6E14FDA9FD11909FF861637"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>review and update the Commission's
totality of the circumstances test to ensure that such test encourages
parties to
a retransmission consent negotiation to present bona fide proposals on the
material terms of a retransmission consent agreement during negotiations
and engage in timely negotiations to reach an agreement.</text></clause></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id6DA01C9BF8DB4513AADA51942F0A275C"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Conforming amendment</header><text>Section 325(b)(7) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="id83DAD8EA1CCE46049715744AA33F1A69"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>and</quote> at the end;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id18ACBB427B9747F496C8A1FC84288469"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id3E3075E7C44942CFA671244F447A34E0"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block act-name="" id="id1F76BDC3DE164BC987AA88C50549F254" style="OLC"><subparagraph id="id0F78D9ECE8B6434D948FE8BCAB5B891A"><enum>(C)</enum><text><term>television network</term> means a television network in the United States which offers an interconnected program service on
a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 affiliated
broadcast stations in 10 or more States.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>. </after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id0B009600661A44719BFEFF6168CBF77F"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Margin corrections</header><paragraph id="id7BE5A3A00DA94CC98F3A8315ECAB7A17"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Section 325(b)(3)(C) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)</external-xref>) is further amended by moving the margin of clause
(iii) 4 ems to the left.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id9E58793BBF834055862C3DEC97B2244F"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Section 325(b) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/325">47 U.S.C. 325(b)</external-xref>) is amended by moving the margin of paragraph (7), as amended by
this section, 4 ems
to the left.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id03DBC47E3D724F1AB1E7DB49BD0D837C"><enum>202.</enum><header>Update to cable rates report</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 623(k) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/543">47 U.S.C. 543(k)</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5DF8FAE54D364CB5A8C35D8F9711F49F" style="OLC"><subsection id="id4B721F4DF5AB42D7B8A0B0BEFD135F36"><enum>(k)</enum><header>Reports on average prices</header><paragraph id="idA4424FF630EA45BCA4A7FF795DC5C66B"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Commission shall annually publish statistical reports on the average rates for basic cable
service and other cable programming, and for converter boxes, remote
control units, and other equipment of cable systems that the Commission
has found are subject to effective competition under subsection (a)(2)
compared with cable systems that the Commission has found are not subject
to such effective competition.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id1EB234F4108D4F41B74C9991F0836285"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Inclusion in annual report</header><text>The Commission shall include in its report under paragraph (1), the aggregate average total amount
paid by cable systems per community in compensation under
section 325.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="id3096ECEFAB6340E187F9320384491442"><enum>203.</enum><header>Competitive device availability</header><subsection id="id5DB56831AB6745D4BF7DD31093D201A2"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Termination of effectiveness</header><paragraph id="id204DE136551E45A69580880DC9803511"><enum>(1)</enum><header>New navigation devices</header><text>The
authority provided by the second sentence of section 76.1204(a)(1) of
title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, terminates effective on the date
that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id6C1E186727C04233B130E5D68357232E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Revision of regulations</header><text>Not later than 910 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications
Commission shall revise its regulations to strike
the sentence described in paragraph (1) and make any necessary conforming
revisions to its regulations.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idEC15931B6BD844299C3966DFDEE3709A"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Working Group</header><paragraph id="idA8A61F7CA2F340F2AA6FBF532963BD12"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Federal
Communications Commission shall
convene a working group of technical experts representing a wide range of
stakeholders, to identify and report performance objectives, technical
capabilities, and technical standards of a non-burdensome,
uniform, and technology- and platform-neutral software-based downloadable
security system designed to promote the competitive availability of
navigation devices in furtherance of section 629 of the Communications Act
of 1934 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/549">47 U.S.C. 549</external-xref>).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id95001B583B2F4CB4BAE839198B665166"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than 540 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the working group shall file a
report with the Federal Communications Commission on its work under
paragraph (1).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id8B633D2057864B93965F6FBB3D0D392A"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Commission assistance</header><text>The Chairperson of the Federal Communications Commission may appoint a member of the Commission's
staff—</text><subparagraph id="id1AD276FB0AF3473BBCA416AF3169CE1F"><enum>(A)</enum><text>to moderate and direct the work of the working group under this subsection; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id20B1D268EC2C4A0790848C5EC86F0608"><enum>(B)</enum><text>to provide technical assistance to members of the working group, as appropriate.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id49D9D545FA7B4F59BED8DDA23C6C3E85"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Initial meeting</header><text>The initial meeting of the working group shall take place not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="id630FBA30396E42D18778489B42F95566"><enum>204.</enum><header>Administrative reforms to effective competition petitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 623 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/47/543">47 U.S.C. 543</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block act-name="" id="id4EFAE5F2595743359CD3BFE60E8A5942" style="OLC"><subsection id="id3EF4055746C04DF3A0D6EF37C0AAA120"><enum>(o)</enum><header>Streamlined petition process for small cable operators</header><paragraph id="id7C101E5FDCEF448085A9E41DDE3FB17B"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the <short-title>Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act</short-title>, the Commission shall complete a rulemaking to establish a streamlined process for filing of an
effective
competition petition pursuant to this section for small cable operators,
particularly those who serve primarily rural areas.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="idE229E16DB338483285838672C322590B"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Construction</header><text>Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to have any effect on the duty of a small cable
operator to prove the existence
of effective competition under this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="id974516C3A2F04627AC08431A62CA5054"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Definition of small cable operator</header><text>In this subsection, the term <term>small cable operator</term> has the meaning given the term in subsection (m).</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><enum>III</enum><header>Miscellaneous</header><section id="idBCE0465EFE9145D59C20A74DAF23A654"><enum>301.</enum><header>Implementation</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Except as otherwise expressly provided, the Federal Communications Commission shall prescribe
regulations to
implement the requirements of this Act,
and any amendments made by this Act, not later than 270 days after the
date of
enactment.</text></section><section id="id26420C5615344F898905E0E7064F5557"><enum>302.</enum><header>Severability</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by this Act, or the application of
such provision or amendment to any person or circumstance is held to be
unconstitutional, the remainder of the Act, the amendments made by the
Act, and the application of such provision or amendment
to any person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby.</text>
</section>