I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1078

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to retransmission

consent and must-carry for cable operators and satellite carriers.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 11, 1999

Mr. PAUL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 with respect

to retransmission consent and must-carry for cable operators and satellite carriers.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘TV Consumer Free5 dom Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. RETRANSMISSION CONSENT.

7 Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934

8 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)) is amended—
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1 (1) by striking ‘‘(b)(1)’’ and all that follows

2 through the end of paragraph (1) and inserting the

3 following:

4 ‘‘(b)(1) No cable system or other multichannel video

5 programming distributor shall retransmit the signal of a

6 broadcasting station, or any part thereof, except with the

7 express authority of the station.’’;

8 (2) in paragraph (3)—

9 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and

10 of the right to signal carriage under section

11 614’’;

12 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and

13 the right to signal carriage under section 614’’;

14 and

15 (C) by adding at the end the following:

16 ‘‘(C) Within 45 days after the effective date of the

17 TV Consumer Freedom Act, the Commission shall com18 mence a rulemaking proceeding to revise the regulations

19 governing the exercise by television broadcast stations of

20 the right to grant retransmission consent under this sub21 section. Such regulations shall establish election time peri22 ods that correspond with those regulations adopted under

23 subparagraph (B). The rulemaking shall be completed

24 within 180 days after the effective date of the TV Con25 sumer Freedom Act.’’; and
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1 (3) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and re2 designating paragraph (6) as paragraph (4).

3 SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF MUST-CARRY REQUIREMENTS.

4 (a) REPORT.—Sections 614 and 615 of the Commu5 nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 534 and 535) are re6 pealed.

7 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

8 (1) Section 623(b)(7)(A) of the Communica9 tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 543(b)(7)(A)) is

10 amended by striking clause (i) and redesignating

11 clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and (ii).

12 (2) Section 635 of the Communications Act of

13 1934 (47 U.S.C. 555) is amended by striking sub14 section (c).

15 (3) Section 653 of the Communications Act of

16 1934 (47 U.S.C. 573) is amended—

17 (A) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking

18 ‘‘614, or 615,’’; and

19 (B) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking

20 ‘‘sections 611, 614, and 615’’ and inserting

21 ‘‘section 611’’.

22 (4) Section 336(b)(3) of the Communications

23 Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 336(b)(3)) is amended by

24 striking ‘‘have any rights to carriage under section

25 614 or 615 or’’.
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1 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

2 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall

3 take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

Æ