[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2821 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2821

     To amend section 122 of title 17, United States Code, and the 
   Communications Act of 1934 to permit satellite carriers and cable 
   operators to retransmit the signals of local television broadcast 
      stations to their adjacent markets, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2007

   Mr. Ross (for himself, Mrs. Cubin, and Mr. Boren) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
 and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend section 122 of title 17, United States Code, and the 
   Communications Act of 1934 to permit satellite carriers and cable 
   operators to retransmit the signals of local television broadcast 
      stations to their adjacent markets, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Television Freedom Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. SECONDARY TRANSMISSIONS BY SATELLITE CARRIERS WITHIN LOCAL 
              MARKETS.

    Section 122 of title 17, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``or adjacent market'' after ``station's 
                local market'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) in the case of a satellite carrier that makes 
        secondary transmissions into a television broadcast station's 
        adjacent market, the satellite carrier also makes secondary 
        transmissions into that market of the signals of the television 
        broadcast stations located in that market.'';
            (2) in subsections (d) an (e), by inserting ``or adjacent 
        market'' after ``into the local market'';
            (3) in subsection (f), by inserting ``or adjacent market'' 
        after ``station's local market'' in paragraphs (1) and (2);
            (4) in subsection (g), by inserting ``or adjacent market'' 
        after ``station's local market''; and
            (5) in subsection (j), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Adjacent market.--The term `adjacent market', in the 
        case of both commercial and noncommercial television broadcast 
        stations, means any designated market area adjacent to, and at 
        least partially in the same State as, the designated market 
        area in which the station is located.''.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934.

    (a) Retransmission Consent.--Section 325(b)(2) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (D);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (E) 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following new 
        subparagraph:
                    ``(F) to retransmission of the signals of a 
                television broadcast station to a subscriber located in 
                the station's adjacent market--
                            ``(i) by a satellite carrier directly to 
                        the satellite antenna of the subscriber under 
                        section 122 of title 17, United States Code, or
                            ``(ii) by a cable operator or other 
                        multichannel video programmer, other than a 
                        satellite carrier, to the subscriber.''; and
            (4) in the last sentence, by striking ``the term `local 
        market' has the meaning that term'' and inserting ``the terms 
        `local market' and `adjacent market' have the meanings given 
        such terms''.
    (b) Carriage of Distant Signals.--Section 339(a)(1)(B) of such Act 
(47 U.S.C. 339(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting ``or adjacent market'' 
after ``local market''.
    (c) Waiver of Duplication Rules.--
            (1) Waiver required.--Within 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission 
        shall commence a proceeding to revise the regulations 
        concerning network nonduplication protection, syndicated 
        exclusivity protection, and sports blackout protection (47 CFR 
        part 76) against the retransmission by a cable operator or by a 
        satellite carrier of signals of network stations to subscribers 
        to permit such retransmission if the subscriber receiving the 
        signals is located in the station's adjacent market (as such 
        term is defined in section 122(j)(6) of title 17, United States 
        Code).
            (2) Deadline for action.--The Commission shall complete all 
        actions necessary to prescribe the revised regulations required 
        by paragraph (1) within 180 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act.
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