Orphan County Telecommunications Rights Act of 2014

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater access to in-State television broadcast programming, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Orphan County Telecommunications Rights Act of 2014 2. Modification of local television markets (a) In general Part I of title III of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 301 et seq. 343. Modification of local television markets (a) In general The adjacent underserved county of a television broadcast station may file with the Commission a petition for the inclusion of such county in the local market of such station. Not later than 120 days after receiving such a petition, the Commission shall grant such petition by modifying the local market of such station by including such county in such market. (b) Multiple markets The Commission may determine under subsection (a) that a particular county is part of the local market of more than one television broadcast station affiliated with the same television network. (c) Single petition A county may request the inclusion of such county in the local market of more than one television broadcast station in a single petition filed under subsection (a). (d) Point of contact with county A county that files a petition under subsection (a) shall designate an official or body to communicate with the Commission about matters relating to such petition. (e) Carriage during pendency of proceeding During the pendency of a proceeding on a petition under subsection (a) for the inclusion of a county in the local market of a television broadcast station, a multichannel video programming distributor may not delete from carriage the signal of a television broadcast station— (1) that is affiliated with the same television network; and (2) the local market of which includes such county. (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Adjacent market (A) In general The term adjacent market (B) Treatment of certain counties In the case of a county that is not within the local market or the adjacent market (as defined in subparagraph (A)) of any network station licensed to a community in the State in which such county is located, such county shall be considered to be within the adjacent market of any television broadcast station licensed to a community in the nearest designated market area— (i) that is located in whole or in part within such State; and (ii) with respect to which the community of license of at least one network station is located both in such designated market area and in such State. (2) Adjacent underserved county The term adjacent underserved county (A) located in the same State as the station’s community of license; and (B) not within the local market of any other station that is both affiliated with the same television network and located in the same State. (3) Cable operator The term cable operator (4) County The term county (5) Designated market area The term designated market area section 122(j)(2)(C) (6) Local market The term local market (A) for purposes of carriage of such station by satellite carriers, the local market of such station as determined under section 122(j)(2) (B) for purposes of carriage of such station by cable operators, the television market of such station as determined under section 614(h)(1)(C). (7) Multichannel video programming distributor The term multichannel video programming distributor (8) Network station The term network station section 119(d) (9) Satellite carrier The term satellite carrier section 119(d) (10) Television broadcast station The term television broadcast station (11) Television network The term television network . (b) Effect for purposes of cable carriage Section 614(h)(1)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 534(h)(1)(C) (1) by moving the margin of clause (iv) two ems to the left; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (v) If the Commission modifies the local market of a television broadcast station under section 343 by including a county in such market, the Commission shall include within the television market of such station for purposes of this section all of the communities within such county. . (c) Effect for purposes of satellite carriage Section 122(j)(2) (E) Modification by FCC If the Federal Communications Commission modifies the local market of a television broadcast station under section 343 of the Communications Act of 1934, such modification shall modify the local market of such station as determined under this paragraph. .

Summary: Orphan County Telecommunications Rights Act of 2014 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to permit an adjacent underserved county of a television broadcast station to file a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to be included in the local market of such station. Defines "adjacent underserved county" as a county within a television broadcast station's adjacent market that is: (1) located in the same state as the station's community of license, and (2) not within the local market of any other station that is affiliated with the same television network and located in the same state. Defines "adjacent market" as any designated market area adjacent to, and partially but not entirely in the same state as, the designated market area in which the station's community of license is located. Requires a county that is not within the local or adjacent market of any network station licensed to a community in the county's state to be considered within the adjacent market of any station licensed to a community in the nearest designated market area: (1) that is located in whole or in part within such state, and (2) with respect to which the community of license of at least one network station is located both in such designated market area and in such state. Allows the FCC to determine that a particular county is part of the local market of more than one television broadcast station affiliated with the same television network. Prohibits a multichannel video programming distributor, during the pendency of a proceeding on a county's petition for inclusion in the local market of a television broadcast station, from deleting the signal of a station that: (1) is affiliated with the same television network, and (2) has a local market that includes such county. Directs the FCC, if the local market of a television broadcast station is modified to include a petitioning county, to include within the television market of such station all of the communities within such county for purposes of carriage obligation requirements under which cable operators carry the signals of local commercial television stations. Requires the FCC's modification of a station's local market under this Act to also result in a modification of such marketfor purposes of statutory licensing requirements that apply to secondary transmissions of local television programming by satellite.