Source: http://www.fcc.gov/document/waiver-network-nonduplication-rules?contrast=highContrast
Timestamp: 2014-12-19 23:44:51
Document Index: 463503433

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 76', '§ 76', '§76', '§76', '§76', '§76', '§76', '§76', '§ 76']

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Waiver Of The Network Nonduplication Rules
DA 13-2150
CSR-8373-N
Petition For Waiver of Section 76.92(f) )
of the Commission’s Rules
Adopted: November 8, 2013
By the Senior Deputy Chief, Policy Division Media Bureau:
TVL Broadcasting of Rhode Island, LLC, licensee of station WPRI-TV (CBS), Providence, Rhode Island (“WPRI-TV”), filed the captioned petition seeking a waiver of the rules that preclude cable operators from deleting the duplicate programming of “significantly viewed” stations under the network nonduplication rules (“exclusivity rules”).1 Specifically, WPRI-TV seeks a waiver of the significantly viewed exception so that it may enforce its exclusivity rights against WBZ-TV (CBS), Boston, Massachusetts (“WBZ-TV”) in the communities of South Easton and Fall River, Massachusetts.2Oppositions to this petition have been filed on behalf of CBS Corporation, licensee of WBZ-TV, the Town of Easton, Massachusetts (“Easton”), and the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable (“MDTC”), to all of which WPRI-TV replied.3 For the reasons discussed below, we grant, in part, WPRI-TV’s waiver request. 1See 47 C.F.R. § 76.92(f). Although not expressly requested in WPRI-TV’s petition for waiver of Section 76.92(f) (significantly viewed exception to cable network nonduplication), a waiver of Sections 76.122(j) (significantly viewed exception to satellite network nonduplication) would also appertain to a waiver for carriage on DBS systems based on the same showing that a station is no longer significantly viewed in the relevant community. See 47 C.F.R. §§ 76.92(f) & 76.122(j).2Petition at 1. 3We note that WBZ-TV filed a “Motion to Accept Late Filing” with regard to the filing of its opposition which was filed after the required 20-day response period required pursuant to Section 76.7 of the Commission’s rules. Although WPRI-TV filed a reply to this opposition, it also requested that the Commission strike the late-filed opposition. In the interests of a complete record, we will accept WBZ-TV’s opposition and deny WPRI-TV’s motion to strike. Federal Communications Commission
Upon the request of a local television station with exclusive rights to distribute a network or syndicated program, a cable operator generally may not carry a duplicating program broadcast by a distant station.4 Under Sections 76.92(f) and 76.106(a) of the Commission’s rules, however, a signal otherwise subject to deletion is exempt from application of both the network nonduplication and syndicated exclusivity rules if it is “significantly viewed” in a relevant community (the “significantly viewed exception”).5 The significantly viewed exception to the exclusivity rules is based on a demonstration that an otherwise distant station receives a “significant” level of over-the-air viewership in a subject community. If this viewership level is met, the station is no longer considered distant for purposes of the application of the exclusivity rules because it has established that it is viewed over the air in the subject community. A similar exception is provided in the syndicated exclusivity rules.6
In order to obtain a waiver of Section 76.92(f), the Commission held in KCST-TV, Inc.7
that petitioners would be required to demonstrate for two consecutive years that a station was no longer significantly viewed, based either on community-specific or system-specific over-the-air viewing data, following the methodology set forth in Section 76.54(b). Section 76.5(i) of the Commission’s rules requires that for network stations to be considered significantly viewed, the survey results should exceed a 3 percent share of total viewing hours and a net weekly circulation of 25 percent, by at least one standard error.8 For independent stations (i.e., non-network stations), to be considered significantly viewed, Section 76.5(i) of the Commission’s rules requires that the survey results should exceed a 2 percent share of total viewing hours and a net weekly circulation of 5 percent, by at least one standard error.9 The Commission has found that this type of test is applicable as well for waivers of the syndicated exclusivity exemption.10
Since the Commission’s decision in KCST-TV, the methodology required by Section 76.54(b) of the rules for a petitioner seeking a waiver of the significantly viewed exception has evolved, pursuant to case law and market realities. Section 76.54(b) states in pertinent part that significant viewing “may be demonstrated by an independent professional audience survey of [over-the-air] television homes that covers at least two weekly periods separated by at least thirty (30) days but no more than one of which shall be a week between the months of April and September.11 Over time, The Nielsen Company (“Nielsen”) became the primary surveying organization through which a petitioner could obtain television surveys. Nielsen, which routinely surveys television markets to obtain television stations’ viewership, conducts four-week audience surveys four times a year (i.e., February, May, July 4See 47 C.F.R. §76.92; 47 C.F.R. §76.101. 5 47 C.F.R. §76.92(f); see 47 C.F.R. §§76.5(i) and 76.54. 6 47 C.F.R. §76.106(a).7 KCST-TV, Inc., 103 FCC 2d 407, 413 ¶ 11 (1986).847 C.F.R. §76.5(i). 9 Id.10 See Chambers Cable of Oregon, Inc., 5 FCC Rcd 5640, 5640-41 ¶ 6 (1990).1147 C.F.R. § 76.54(b). The criteria set forth in KCST-TV require that two separate surveys be performed pursuant to Section 76.54(b) in consecutive years. The provisions of Section 76.54(b) therefore apply to each year’s survey. It should be noted that these types of surveys cannot be done by the affected television station, cable system or satellite operator. 2
and November “sweep periods”). The Bureau has found that replacing each week required under KCST-TV with a sweep period is acceptable and, if anything, adds to the accuracy of the audience statistics because of the increased sample size.12 Accordingly, a petitioner may submit the results from two sweep periods in each year. For use in exclusivity waivers, a petitioner may purchase survey data from Nielsen on either a community-specific or system-specific basis.13 If a petitioner is purchasing survey data on a system-specific basis where two or more communities are involved, the percent of diaries from each community surveyed must be approximately the same as the percentage of the total population for each community served by the cable system. 14 In order to produce the data required for exclusivity waivers, Nielsen re-tabulates the over-the-air data that it collects for its routine audience sweep periods, selecting in-tab diaries from its database from the area served by a cable system or an individual cable community.15 It should be noted that, despite the fact that a petitioner is purchasing a re-tabulation of data that has already been collected, it is still obligated to notify interested parties prior to the purchase of such data, pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 76.54(c) of the Commission’s rules.16 Such notice should indicate the surveying organiza