GO PACK Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-3496
Sponsor: Rep. Duffy, Sean P. [R-WI-7]
Introduced: 2015-09-11 in the House
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Competition and antitrust
Consumer affairs
Intellectual property
Licensing and registrations
Television and film
Wisconsin

Summary:
action_date: 2015-09-11
text: 

Granting Our People the Ability to Cheer Kickoff Act of 2015 or the GO PACK Act of 2015

 
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require a cable operator or satellite carrier to provide to certain subscribers in specified Wisconsin counties who elect to receive a television network: (1) retransmission of the signal of any local network station that such operator or carrier is otherwise required to retransmit; (2) an in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission; or (3) both such retransmissions. Subjects satellite carriers to such requirements only to the extent that such retransmissions are technically feasible. 
 
Defines &quot;in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission&quot; as the secondary transmission by a cable operator or satellite carrier of the primary transmission of any network station whose community of license is located: (1) in a subscriber's state, and (2) in a local market that is adjacent to the subscriber's local market.
 
Provides for this Act to apply, with respect to such an in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission to a subscriber, to specified Wisconsin counties (Barron, Burnett, Dunn, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, and Washburn) that are not in the local market of any television broadcast station that is affiliated with the same network and whose community of license is located in the subscriber's state.
 
Exempts in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmissions in such counties from: (1) retransmission consent requirements that prohibit cable operators from retransmitting broadcast stations without the authority of the originating station, and (2) statutory licensing limitations under federal copyright laws concerning satellite retransmissions to unserved households and secondary transmissions of distant signals.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-10-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet.
action_date: 2015-09-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
action_date: 2015-09-11
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: 2015-09-11
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: 2015-09-11
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: 2015-09-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-09-11
text: Introduced in House