Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2019

Bill: 116-hr-1789
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
Introduced: 2019-03-14
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Competition and antitrust

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Licensing and registrations

Television and film
Latest action: action_date: 2019-03-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-03-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2019</strong></p> <p>This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to eliminate the ultrahigh frequency (UHF) discount, which applies to entities that own commercial television stations. <br /><br /> Currently, the FCC's National Television Multiple Ownership Rule prohibits an entity from owning television stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. households. However, the UHF discount enables an entity to discount the number of households reached by its UHF stations by half. The bill eliminates this discount, increasing from 50% to 100% the number of attributed television households in a television station's market area.</p> <p>This change does not apply to certain television stations that were owned prior to September 26, 2013.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1789 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 14, 2019 Mr. Huffman (for himself and Mr. Price of North Carolina ) 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Local and Independent Television Protection Act of 2019 . 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.