TV Consumer Freedom Act

Bill: 110-hr-3602
Sponsor: Rep. Paul, Ron [R-TX-14]
Introduced: 2007-09-19 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Cable television
Direct broadcast satellites
Education
Educational television
Elementary and secondary education
Federal Communications Commission
Government Operations and Politics
Higher education
Independent regulatory commissions
Law
Licenses
Television
Television broadcasting
Television programs
Television relay systems
Television stations

Summary:
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: 
TV Consumer Freedom Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow any cable system or other multichannel video programming distributor to retransmit the signal of a broadcasting station, or any part thereof, only with the express authority of that station (thereby removing authority under current law for such retransmission in the case of the carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers and cable operators). Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to commence a rulemaking proceeding to revise regulations governing the exercise by broadcast stations of the right to grant such consent. 
 
Repeals federal provisions requiring cable operators to carry the signals of local commercial television stations and qualified noncommercial educational television stations. 
Terminates upon the enactment of this Act all FCC regulations requiring television receivers sold in the United States to include particular types of features or functions, or specifying the type of technology to be used to provide such features or functions. 
 Grants a satellite carrier, notwithstanding any injunction issued under specified provisions, a statutory license to provide a secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission made by a network station.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-10-12
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1922)
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-09-19
text: Introduced in House