II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2643 

To require a report by the Federal Communications Commission on 

designated market areas. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22, 2014 

Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mrs. FISCHER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require a report by the Federal Communications 

Commission on designated market areas. 

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

3 SECTION 1. REPORT ON DESIGNATED MARKET AREAS. 

4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

5 (1) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com6 mittees’’ means— 

7 (A) the Committee on Energy and Com8 merce and the Committee on the Judiciary of 

9 the House of Representatives; and 


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1 (B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

2 and Transportation and the Committee on the 

3 Judiciary of the Senate; 

4 (2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 

5 Communications Commission; 

6 (3) the terms ‘‘designated market area’’ and 

7 ‘‘local market’’ have the meaning given those terms 

8 in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code; and 

9 (4) the term ‘‘television broadcast station’’ has 

10 the meaning given the term in section 325(b)(7) of 

11 the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 

12 325(b)(7)). 

13 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

14 (1) The telecommunications and media policy of 

15 the United States has long valued localism, competi16 tion, and diversity of voices. 

17 (2) Broadcasters play an essential role in pro18 viding critical emergency alerts, news, and informa19 tion that responds to the needs of their communities. 

20 (3) Broadcast television remains an important 

21 medium for reaching communities, even as techno22 logical innovations and new forms of communication 

23 continue to expand. 

24 (4) It is in the public interest to study— 


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1 (A) how designated market areas impact 

2 access to local and in-State programming; and 

3 (B) how any deficiencies in localism might 

4 be addressed. 

5 (c) REPORT.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

7 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commis8 sion shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

9 committees a report that contains— 

10 (A) an analysis of— 

11 (i) the extent to which consumers in 

12 each local market have access to broadcast 

13 programming from television broadcast 

14 stations located outside their local market; 

15 and 

16 (ii)(I) whether there are alternatives 

17 to the use of designated market areas to 

18 define markets that would provide con19 sumers with more local programming op20 tions; and 

21 (II) the potential impact the alter22 natives described in clause (i) could have 

23 on localism and on broadcast television lo24 cally, regionally, and nationally; and 


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1 (B) recommendations on how to foster in2 creased localism in States served by out-of3 State designated market areas. 

4 (2) CONSIDERATIONS FOR FOSTERING IN5 CREASED LOCALISM.—In making recommendations 

6 under paragraph (1)(B), the Commission shall con7 sider— 

8 (A) the impact that designated market 

9 areas that cross State lines have on access to 

10 local programming; 

11 (B) the impact that designated market 

12 areas have on local programming in rural areas; 

13 and 

14 (C) the state of local programming in 

15 States served exclusively by out-of-State des16 ignated market areas. 

Æ 


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