I
104TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1556
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to reduce the restrictions on
ownership of broadcasting stations and other media of mass communications.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 3, 1995
Mr. STEARNS (for himself, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. FIELDS of Texas, Mr. SCHAE-
FER, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. WHITE, Mr.
KLUG, and Mr. HASTERT) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to reduce the
restrictions on ownership of broadcasting stations and
other media of mass communications.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. BROADCAST OWNERSHIP.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Title III of the Communications
Act of 1934 is amended by inserting after section 335 (47
U.S.C. 335) the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 336. BROADCAST OWNERSHIP.
‘‘(a) LIMITATIONS
ON COMMISSION RULEMAKING
AUTHORITY.—Except as expressly permitted in this sec-
tion, the Commission shall not prescribe or enforce any
regulation—
‘‘(1) prohibiting or limiting, either nationally or
within any particular area, a person or entity from
holding any form of ownership or other interest in
two or more broadcasting stations or in a broadcast-
ing station and any other medium of mass commu-
nication; or
‘‘(2) prohibiting a person or entity from own-
ing, operating, or controlling two or more networks
of broadcasting stations or from owning, operating,
or controlling a network of broadcasting stations
and any other medium of mass communications.
‘‘(b) TELEVISION OWNERSHIP LIMITATIONS.—
‘‘(1) NATIONAL
AUDIENCE
REACH
LIMITA-
TIONS.—The Commission shall prohibit a person or
entity from obtaining any license if such license
would result in such person or entity directly or indi-
rectly owning, operating, or controlling, or having a
cognizable interest in, television stations which have
an aggregate national audience reach exceeding—
‘‘(A) 35 percent, for any determination
made under this paragraph before one year
after the date of enactment of this section; or
‘‘(B) 50 percent, for any determination
made under this paragraph on or after one year
after such date of enactment.
Within 2 years after such date of enactment, the
Commission shall conduct a study on the operation
of this paragraph and submit a report to the Con-
gress on the development of competition in the tele-
vision marketplace and the need for any revisions to
or elimination of this paragraph.
‘‘(2) MULTIPLE LICENSES IN A MARKET.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall
prohibit a person or entity from obtaining any
license if such license would result in such per-
son or entity directly or indirectly owning, oper-
ating, or controlling, or having a cognizable in-
terest in, two or more television stations within
the same television market.
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION FOR MULTIPLE UHF STA-
TIONS
AND
FOR
UHF-VHF
COMBINATIONS.—
Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Com-
mission shall not prohibit a person or entity
from directly or indirectly owning, operating, or
controlling, or having a cognizable interest in,
two television stations within the same tele-
vision market if at least one of such stations is
a UHF television, unless the Commission deter-
mines that permitting such ownership, oper-
ation, or control will harm competition or will
harm the preservation of a diversity of voices in
the local television market.
‘‘(C) EXCEPTION FOR VHF-VHF COMBINA-
TIONS.—Notwithstanding 
subparagraph 
(A),
the Commission may permit a person or entity
to directly or indirectly own, operate, or control,
or have a cognizable interest in, two VHF tele-
vision stations within the same television mar-
ket, if the Commission determines that permit-
ting such ownership, operation, or control will
not harm competition and will not harm the
preservation of a diversity of voices in the local
television market.
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONAL REGULATIONS PERMITTED.—
The Commission may prescribe regulations—
‘‘(1) providing for the treatment of any persons
or entities under common ownership or control as a
single person or entity for purposes of this section,
except that the Commission shall not change the at-
tribution rules in effect on the date of enactment of
this section;
‘‘(2) specifying procedures for the determina-
tion of markets and audience reach; and
‘‘(3) defining direct or indirect ownership, oper-
ation, and control, and cognizable interest, consist-
ent with the purposes of this section.
‘‘(d) TRANSITION PROVISIONS.—Any provision of
any regulation prescribed before the date of enactment of
this section that is inconsistent with the requirements of
this section shall cease to be effective on such date of en-
actment. The Commission shall complete all actions (in-
cluding any reconsideration) necessary to amend its regu-
lations to conform to the requirements of this section not
later than 6 months after such date of enactment. Nothing
in this section shall be construed to prohibit the continu-
ation or renewal of any television local marketing agree-
ment that is in effect on such date of enactment and that
is in compliance with Commission regulations on such
date.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 613(a) of
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 533(a)) is
repealed.
Æ