STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to extend expiring provisions relating to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 2. Extension of authority Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 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 3. Retransmission consent negotiations (a) In general Section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 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 in the same local market (as defined in section 122(j) . (b) Margin correction Section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C) (c) Deadline for regulations Not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations to implement the amendments made by this section. 4. Delayed application of JSA attribution rule in case of waiver petition In the case of a party to a joint sales agreement (as defined in Note 2(k) to section 73.3555 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations) that is in effect on the effective date of the amendment to Note 2(k)(2) to such section made by the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order adopted by the Commission on March 31, 2014 (FCC 14–28), and who, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, submits to the Commission a petition for a waiver of the application to such agreement of the rule in such Note 2(k)(2) (as so amended), such party shall not be considered to be in violation of the ownership limitations of such section by reason of the application of such rule to such agreement until the later of— (1) the date that is 18 months after the date on which the Commission denies such petition; or (2) December 31, 2016. 5. Deletion or repositioning of stations during certain periods (a) In general Section 614(b)(9) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 534(b)(9) (b) Revision of rules Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall revise section 76.1601 of its rules (47 CFR 76.1601) and any note to such section by removing the prohibition against deletion or repositioning of a local commercial television station during a period in which major television ratings services measure the size of audiences of local television stations. 6. Repeal of integration ban (a) No force or effect The second sentence of section 76.1204(a)(1) (b) Removal from rules Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall complete all actions necessary to remove the sentence described in subsection (a) from its rules. 7. Report on communications implications of statutory licensing modifications (a) Study The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that analyzes and evaluates the changes to the carriage requirements currently imposed on multichannel video programming distributors under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated by the Commission that would be required or beneficial to consumers, and such other matters as the Comptroller General considers appropriate, if Congress implemented a phase-out of the current statutory licensing requirements set forth under sections 111, 119, and 122 of title 17, United States Code. Among other things, the study shall consider the impact such a phase-out and related changes to carriage requirements would have on consumer prices and access to programming. (b) Report Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), including any recommendations for legislative or administrative actions. Such report shall also include a discussion of any differences between such results and the results of the study conducted under section 303 of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 1255). 8. Local network channel broadcast reports (a) Requirement (1) In general On the 270th day after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on each succeeding anniversary of such 270th day, each satellite carrier shall submit an annual report to the Commission setting forth— (A) each local market in which it— (i) retransmits signals of 1 or more television broadcast stations with a community of license in that market; (ii) has commenced providing such signals in the preceding 1-year period; and (iii) has ceased to provide such signals in the preceding 1-year period; and (B) detailed information regarding the use and potential use of satellite capacity for the retransmission of local signals in each local market. (2) Termination The requirement under paragraph (1) shall cease after each satellite carrier has submitted 5 reports under such paragraph. (b) Definitions In this section— (1) the terms local market satellite carrier (2) the term television broadcast station 9. Report on designated market areas Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing an analysis of— (1) the extent to which consumers in each local market (as defined in section 122(j) 47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7) 47 U.S.C. 340 (2) whether there are technologically and economically feasible alternatives to the use of designated market areas (as defined in section 122(j) 10. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees (2) Commission The term Commission July 11, 2014 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 - Title I: Communications Provisions - (Sec. 101) Amends the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA), 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 "distant signals"). 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) Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prohibit television broadcast stations from coordinating their negotiations or negotiating jointly in the same local market to grant retransmission consent to an MVPD, unless such stations are directly or indirectly under common de jure control permitted under FCC regulations. (Sec. 103) Establishes a process to delay application of the FCC's amendments to joint sales agreement (JSA) rules under which a television station that sells more than 15% of the weekly advertising time of another station in the same market is attributed an ownership interest subject to ownership limitation rules. Prohibits a JSA party that submits a petition to the FCC for a waiver of such attribution rules from being considered in violation of ownership limits until the later of: (1) 18 months after the FCC denies such petition, or (2) December 31, 2016. (Currently, the FCC requires compliance with ownership limits within two years of the FCC's order adopting such amended attribution rules.) (Sec. 104) Removes a prohibition against deletion or reposition of a local commercial television station during periods in which major television ratings services measure the size of local television station audiences (commonly referred to as "sweeps" weeks). (Sec. 105) Repeals an integration ban that prohibits certain MVPDs from placing in service new navigation devices (set-top boxes) for sale, lease, or use that perform both conditional access (mechanisms that provide for selective access and denial of specific services and can prevent a signal from being received by unauthorized users) and other functions in a single integrated device. (Sec. 106) Requires a Comptroller General (GAO) report concerning changes to carriage requirements currently imposed on MVPDs that would be required, or beneficial to consumers, if Congress implemented a phase-out of statutory compulsory licensing procedures (a licensing and royalty distribution system administered by the U.S. Copyright Office under which cable and satellite operators may retransmit programming, without negotiating with every copyright holder, by paying licensing royalties at statutorily-defined rates determined by Copyright Royalty Judges or by using a royalty-free license for the retransmission of local broadcasts) under federal copyright law. (Sec. 107) Directs satellite carriers to submit annual reports to the FCC regarding: (1) the local markets in which television broadcast station signals are retransmitted with a community of license, and (2) the use and potential use of satellite capacity for the retransmission of local signals in each local market. Terminates such reporting requirements after each satellite carrier has submitted five reports. (Sec. 108) Requires the FCC to report to Congress regarding: (1) the extent to which consumers in each local market have access to broadcast programming from television broadcast stations located outside their local market, including through carriage by cable operators and satellite carriers of signals that are significantly viewed; and (2) whether there are technologically and economically feasible alternatives to the use of designated market areas to define markets that would provide consumers with more programming options and the potential impact such alternatives could have on localism and on broadcast television locally, regionally, and nationally. Title II: Copyright Provisions - Amends federal copyright law to extend until December 31, 2019, the statutory license under which satellite carriers retransmit distant television broadcast stations to viewers who are unable to receive signals for such stations in their local market. (Currently, the statutory licensing authority for such satellite retransmissions is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2014.)