Title: Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2017
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

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.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3478 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3478

 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 27, 2017

 Mr. Huffman (for himself, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. 
  Grijalva, Mr. Khanna, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. 
 Speier, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Ellison, and Ms. Roybal-Allard) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Local and Independent Television 
Protection Act of 2017''.

SEC. 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.
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