Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2017

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2017 2. Elimination of UHF discount (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall amend section 73.3555(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, such that, for purposes of the aggregate national audience reach limitation under such section, a UHF television station is attributed with 100 percent of the television households in the designated market area of such station. (b) Effective date Except as provided in subsection (c), the Commission shall provide that— (1) the amendment required by subsection (a) shall apply beginning on a date specified by the Commission, which shall be not later than 90 days after the day on which the Commission adopts such amendment; and (2) any party that exceeds the limitation under section 73.3555(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations— (A) through the grant, transfer, or assignment of an additional license on or after the date specified by the Commission under paragraph (1) shall come into compliance with such limitation as required by section 73.3555(e)(3) of such title; or (B) solely by reason of applying such amendment (and not through the grant, transfer, or assignment of an additional license) shall come into compliance with such limitation not later than 2 years after the date specified by the Commission under paragraph (1). (c) Grandfathering In the case of television broadcast stations in which a party had a cognizable interest as of September 26, 2013 (or would have had such an interest following the completion of a transfer or assignment of a license that was approved by the Commission on or before such date or for which an application was pending with the Commission on such date), if the aggregate national audience reach of such stations would exceed the limitation under section 73.3555(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, solely by reason of applying the amendment required by subsection (a) as of such date, such amendment shall not apply to such party with respect to such stations.

Summary: Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2017 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to amend the National Television Multiple Ownership Rule to eliminate the UHF discount by increasing from 50% to 100% the number of attributed television households in an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) television station's designated market area. (The number of attributed television households in a UHF television station's designated area is used to calculate the total number of television households an entity with a cognizable interest in more than one television station reaches nationally. A broadcast license cannot be granted or transferred if such license would result in the total number of television households reached nationally by an entity exceeds 39%.) This change in the National Television Multiple Ownership Rule does not apply to an entity that had a national television audience exceeding 39% prior to September 26, 2013, if such an entity exceeds the limit only because of the increased number of television households attributed to the entity's UHF television stations.