et seq.) and the regulations promulgated by the Commis-
sion that would be required or beneficial to consumers, 
and such other matters as the Comptroller General con-
siders 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 car-
riage requirements would have on consumer prices and ac-
cess 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 sub-
section (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). 
SEC. 108. LOCAL NETWORK CHANNEL BROADCAST RE-
PORTS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—On the 270th day after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and on each suc-
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ceeding anniversary of such 270th day, each satellite 
carrier shall submit an annual report to the Com-
mission setting forth— 
(A) each local market in which it— 
(i) retransmits signals of 1 or more 
television broadcast stations with a com-
munity 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 re-
transmission of local signals in each local mar-
ket. 
(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’’ and ‘‘satellite car-
rier’’ have the meaning given such terms in section 
339(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 339(d)); and 
(2) the term ‘‘television broadcast station’’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 325(b)(7) of 
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the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
325(b)(7)). 
SEC. 109. REPORT ON DESIGNATED MARKET AREAS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—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 that contains— 
(1) an analysis of— 
(A) the extent to which consumers in each 
local market have access to broadcast program-
ming from television broadcast stations located 
outside their local market, including through 
carriage by cable operators and satellite carriers 
of signals that are significantly viewed (within 
the meaning of section 340 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 340)); and 
(B) whether there are technologically and 
economically feasible alternatives to the use of 
designated market areas to define markets that 
would provide consumers with more program-
ming options and the potential impact such al-
ternatives could have on localism and on broad-
cast television locally, regionally, and nationally; 
and 
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(2) recommendations on how to foster increased 
localism in counties served by out-of-State des-
ignated market areas. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS FOR FOSTERING INCREASED 
LOCALISM.—In making recommendations under sub-
section (a)(2), the Commission shall consider— 
(1) the impact that designated market areas 
that cross State lines have on access to local pro-
gramming; 
(2) the impact that designated market areas 
have on local programming in rural areas; and 
(3) the state of local programming in States 
served exclusively by out-of-State designated market 
areas. 
SEC. 110. UPDATE TO CABLE RATES REPORT. 
Section 623(k) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 543(k)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(k) REPORTS ON AVERAGE PRICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall an-
nually publish statistical reports on the average 
rates for basic cable service and other cable pro-
gramming, and for converter boxes, remote control 
units, and other equipment of cable systems that the 
Commission has found are subject to effective com-
petition under subsection (a)(2) compared with cable 
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systems that the Commission has found are not sub-
ject to such effective competition. 
‘‘(2) INCLUSION IN ANNUAL REPORT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 
include in its report under paragraph (1) the 
aggregate average total amount paid by cable 
systems in compensation under section 325. 
‘‘(B) FORM.—The Commission shall pub-
lish information under this paragraph in a 
manner substantially similar to the way other 
comparable information is published in such re-
port.’’. 
SEC. 111. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS TO EFFECTIVE COM-
PETITION PETITIONS. 
Section 623 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 543) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(o) STREAMLINED PETITION PROCESS FOR SMALL 
CABLE OPERATORS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 
the Commission shall complete a rulemaking to es-
tablish a streamlined process for filing of an effec-
tive competition petition pursuant to this section for 
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small cable operators, particularly those who serve 
primarily rural areas. 
‘‘(2) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sub-
section 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
OPER-
ATOR.—In this subsection, the term ‘small cable op-
erator’ has the meaning given the term in subsection 
(m)(2).’’. 
SEC. 112. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate. 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
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SEC. 203. LOCAL SERVICE AREA OF A PRIMARY TRANS-
MITTER. 
Section 111(f)(4) of title 17, United States Code, is 
amended, in the second sentence— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘as defined by the rules and 
regulations of the Federal Communications Commis-
sion,’’ after ‘‘television station,’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘comprises the area within 35 
miles of the transmitter site, except that’’ and in-
serting ‘‘comprises the designated market area, as 
defined in section 122(j)(2)(C), that encompasses 
the community of license of such station and any 
community that is located outside such designated 
market area that is either wholly or partially within 
35 miles of the transmitter site or,’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘the number of miles shall be 20 
miles’’ and inserting ‘‘wholly or partially within 20 
miles of such transmitter site’’. 
SEC. 204. MARKET DETERMINATIONS. 
Section 122(j)(2) of title 17, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by moving the margins of subparagraphs 
(B), (C), and (D) 2 ems to the left; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) 
MARKET
DETERMINATIONS.—The 
local market of a commercial television broad-
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cast station may be modified by the Federal 
Communications Commission in accordance 
with section 338(l) of the Communications Act 
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 338).’’. 
TITLE III—SEVERABILITY 
SEC. 301. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by 
this Act, or the application of such provision or amend-
ment to any person or circumstance is held to be unconsti-
tutional, the remainder of this Act, the amendments made 
by this Act, and the application of such provision or 
amendment to any person or circumstance shall not be af-
fected thereby. 
Æ 
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