I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1789 

To eliminate the discount for UHF television stations for purposes of the 

limitation on the aggregate national audience reach of television broadcast stations in which a party may have a cognizable interest. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2019 

Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself and Mr. PRICE of North Carolina) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To eliminate the discount for UHF television stations for 

purposes of the limitation on the aggregate national audience reach of television broadcast stations in which a 

party may have a cognizable interest. 

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 ‘‘Local and Independent 

5 Television Protection Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF UHF DISCOUNT. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal CommuVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:56 Mar 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1789.IH H1789

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1 nications Commission shall amend section 73.3555(e) of 

2 title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, such that, for pur3 poses of the aggregate national audience reach limitation 

4 under such section, a UHF television station is attributed 

5 with 100 percent of the television households in the des6 ignated market area of such station. 

7 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub8 section (c), the Commission shall provide that— 

9 (1) the amendment required by subsection (a) 

10 shall apply beginning on a date specified by the 

11 Commission, which shall be not later than 90 days 

12 after the day on which the Commission adopts such 

13 amendment; and 

14 (2) any party that exceeds the limitation under 

15 section 73.3555(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Reg16 ulations— 

17 (A) through the grant, transfer, or assign18 ment of an additional license on or after the 

19 date specified by the Commission under para20 graph (1) shall come into compliance with such 

21 limitation as required by section 73.3555(e)(3) 

22 of such title; or 

23 (B) solely by reason of applying such 

24 amendment (and not through the grant, trans25 fer, or assignment of an additional license) shall 


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1 come into compliance with such limitation not 

2 later than 2 years after the date specified by 

3 the Commission under paragraph (1). 

4 (c) GRANDFATHERING.—In the case of television 

5 broadcast stations in which a party had a cognizable inter6 est as of September 26, 2013 (or would have had such 

7 an interest following the completion of a transfer or as8 signment of a license that was approved by the Commis9 sion on or before such date or for which an application 

10 was pending with the Commission on such date), if the 

11 aggregate national audience reach of such stations would 

12 exceed the limitation under section 73.3555(e) of title 47, 

13 Code of Federal Regulations, solely by reason of applying 

14 the amendment required by subsection (a) as of such date, 

15 such amendment shall not apply to such party with respect 

16 to such stations. 

Æ 


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