Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act

To extend the authority of satellite carriers to retransmit certain television broadcast station signals, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act 2. References to Communications Act of 1934 Except 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. I Satellite television 101. Extension of authority Section 325(b) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b) (1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking December 31, 2014 December 31, 2019 (2) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking January 1, 2015 January 1, 2020 102. Modification of television markets to further consumer access to relevant television programming (a) In general Section 338 ( 47 U.S.C. 338 (1) in subsection (k)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (10) as paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively; (B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated, the following: (1) Designated market area The term designated market area ; and (C) by amending paragraph (5), as redesignated, to read as follows: (5) Local market The term local market ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (l) Market determinations (1) In general 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. (2) Considerations In considering requests filed under paragraph (1), the Commission— (A) may determine that particular communities are part of more than one local market; and (B) 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— (i) whether the station, or other stations located in the same area— (I) have been historically carried on the cable system or systems within such community; and (II) have been historically carried on the satellite carrier or carriers serving such community; (ii) whether the television station provides coverage or other local service to such community; (iii) 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 (iv) 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. (3) Carriage of signals A satellite carrier shall not delete from carriage the signal of a commercial television station during the pendency of any proceeding under this subsection. (4) Determinations 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. . (b) Conforming amendments Section 614(h)(1)(C) ( 47 U.S.C. 534(h)(1)(C) (1) in clause (ii)— (A) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking localism localism, including promoting consumer access to television signals that originate in a consumer's State of residence, (B) in subclause (II), by striking community community or on the satellite carrier or carriers serving such community (C) by amending subclause (IV) to read as follows: (IV) 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. ; and (2) by moving the margin of clause (iv) 4 ems to the left. (c) Implementation 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 ( 47 U.S.C. 338 II Video policy reforms 201. Consumer protections in retransmission consent (a) Joint retransmission consent negotiations Section 325(b)(3)(C) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C) (1) in clause (ii), by striking and (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (iv) 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; . (b) Protections for significantly viewed and other television signals Section 325(b)(3)(C) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C) (v) 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 section 76.54 . (c) Per se violations Section 325(b)(3)(C) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C) (vi) 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— (I) 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 (II) 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. . (d) Good faith Section 325(b)(3) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3) (D) Update to good faith rules The Commission shall commence a rulemaking to revise the regulations issued pursuant to subparagraph (C). That rulemaking shall— (i) consider whether each of the following constitutes a failure to negotiate in good faith as required by this paragraph— (I) 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 (II) 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 (ii) 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. . (e) Conforming amendment Section 325(b)(7) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7) (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking and (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (C) television network . (f) Margin corrections (1) Section 325(b)(3)(C) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C) (2) Section 325(b) ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b) 202. Update to cable rates report Section 623(k) ( 47 U.S.C. 543(k) (k) Reports on average prices (1) In general 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. (2) Inclusion in annual report 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. . 203. Competitive device availability (a) Termination of effectiveness (1) New navigation devices 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. (2) Revision of regulations 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. (b) Working Group (1) In general 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 ( 47 U.S.C. 549 (2) Report 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). (3) Commission assistance The Chairperson of the Federal Communications Commission may appoint a member of the Commission's staff— (A) to moderate and direct the work of the working group under this subsection; and (B) to provide technical assistance to members of the working group, as appropriate. (4) Initial meeting The initial meeting of the working group shall take place not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 204. Administrative reforms to effective competition petitions Section 623 ( 47 U.S.C. 543 (o) Streamlined petition process for small cable operators (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act (2) Construction 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. (3) Definition of small cable operator In this subsection, the term small cable operator . III Miscellaneous 301. Implementation 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. 302. Severability 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.

Summary: Satellite Television Access and Viewer Rights Act - Title I: Satellite Television - (Sec. 101) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to extend until December 31, 2019, the exemption from retransmission consent requirements (which prohibit cable systems or other multichannel video programming distributors [MVPDs] from retransmitting broadcasting station signals without the authority of the originating station) for satellite retransmissions of network station signals to subscribers located outside of a station's local market who reside in unserved households (commonly referred to as &quot;distant signals&quot;). Extends until January 1, 2020: (1) the prohibition on exclusive retransmission consent contracts, and (2) the requirement that television broadcast stations and MVPDs negotiate in good faith. (Sec. 102) Limits the definition of &quot;local market,&quot; in the case of both commercial and noncommercial television broadcast stations, to the designated market area in which a television broadcast station is located, including with respect to a commercial television broadcast station any modifications made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under procedures set forth in this Act to add communities to or exclude communities from a station's local market following a written request. (Currently, the definition incorporates federal copyright laws that expand the definition of a local market to include all commercial television broadcast stations licensed to a community within the same designated market area, stations licensed to a community within the same designated market area as a noncommercial educational television broadcast station, and the county in which the station's community of license is located.) Requires designated market areas, for purposes of determining a satellite carrier's obligations to carry local television signals, to be determined by Nielsen Media Research. Allows the FCC, following a written request with respect to a particular commercial television broadcast station, to add communities to or exclude communities from a station's local market. Directs the FCC, in considering such requests, to afford particular attention to the value of localism by taking into account factors including: (1) whether the station has been carried historically within such community; (2) whether the station provides coverage or other local service to such community; (3) whether modifying the local market of the television station would promote consumers' access to television broadcast station signals that originate in their state of residence; (4) whether any other television station that is eligible to be carried by a satellite carrier in such community covers news, sporting, and other events of interest to the community; and (5) viewing patterns in households that subscribe and do not subscribe to MVPD services. Permits the FCC to determine that communities are part of more than one local market. Prohibits the FCC's market determinations from creating additional carriage obligations that are not technically and economically feasible for a satellite carrier by means of its satellites in operation at the time of the determination. Prohibits a satellite carrier from deleting from carriage the signal of a commercial television broadcast station during the pendency of any such proceeding. Requires the FCC's website to explain the market modification process, including information regarding: (1) who may petition to include communities within, or exclude communities from, a local market or television market; and (2) the factors the FCC takes into account. Title II: Video Policy Reforms - (Sec. 201) Directs the FCC to commence a rulemaking proceeding to revise regulations governing the exercise by television broadcast stations of the right to grant retransmission consent. Requires such revised regulations to prohibit television broadcast stations, unless such stations are under common de jure control permitted by the FCC, from: (1) coordinating negotiations or negotiating on a joint basis with another television broadcast station in the same local market to grant retransmission consent to an MVPD, and (2) limiting the ability of an MVPD to carry a television signal that has been deemed significantly viewed (or any other television broadcast signal such distributor is authorized to carry under current laws governing the carriage of local, distant, or significantly viewed television signals by satellite carriers or the carriage of local commercial television signals by cable operators) into the local market of such station. Directs the FCC to review and update its totality of the circumstances test for good faith negotiations to ensure that the test encourages parties to a retransmission consent negotiation to present bona fide proposals and engage in timely negotiations. (Sec. 202) Requires the FCC's annual report on cable rates to include the aggregate average total amount that cable systems pay for retransmission consent. (Sec. 203) Terminates on the date that is two years after this Act's enactment the FCC's set-top box integration ban that prohibits MVPDs from placing in service new navigation devices that perform both conditional access and other functions in a single integrated device. Directs the FCC to convene a working group to identify and recommend standards for a not unduly burdensome, uniform, technology-neutral, software-based, downloadable security system that promotes the competitive availability of such devices. (Sec. 204) Requires the FCC to establish a streamlined process for the filing of effective competition petitions (if the FCC finds that a cable system is subject to effective competition, the rates for the provision of cable service by such system are not subject to regulation by the FCC, states, or franchising authorities) by small cable operators, particularly those that serve primarily rural areas. Prohibits this Act from being construed to have any effect on the duty of a small cable operator to prove the existence of effective competition. (Sec. 205) Requires the FCC to submit to Congress: (1) an analysis of consumers' access to broadcast programming from television broadcast stations located outside their local market, (2) alternatives to designated market areas to provide consumers with more local programming options, and (3) recommendations to increase localism in counties served by out-of-state designated market areas. Title III: Miscellaneous - Directs the FCC to prescribe regulations to implement this Act. Provides that if any provision of this Act is held to be unconstitutional, the other provisions shall not be affected.